Predicted impact of exotic vines on an endangered ecological community under future climate change

Potential interactions between climate change and exotic plant invasions may affect areas of high conservation value, such as land set aside for the protection of endangered species or ecological communities. We investigated this issue in eastern Australia using species distribution models for five exotic vines under climate regimes for 2020 and 2050. We examined how projected changes in the distribution of climatically suitable habitat may coincide with the remaining remnants of an endangered ecological community—littoral rainforests—in this region. The number of known infestations of each weed in tropical, subtropical and temperate areas was used to assess the likelihood of further expansion into areas projected to provide suitable habitat under future conditions. Littoral rainforest reserves were consistently predicted to provide bioclimatically suitable habitat for the five vines examined under both current and future climate scenarios. We explore the consequences and potential strategies for managing exotic plant invasions in these protected areas in the coming decades.     

Using niche modelling and human influence index to indicate conservation priorities for Atlantic forest deer species

To prioritise conservation actions and management strategies for threatened forest deer species at the Atlantic forest, we aimed to identify and describe the most suitable habitat areas for forest deer species and to indicate conservation measures for state agents and local communities. We adopt an approach based on ecological niche modelling, key variable thresholds and spatial analyses. In addition, we associated our approach with a human influence index, an invasive species dataset of occurrences, protected area cover and IUCN category. We indicate 2 % (484 km²) of the Atlantic forest cover as conservation priority areas (CPAs). Of these, 56.8 % are outside protected areas, 20.7 % are inside IUCN categories i, ii and iii protected areas, 19.9 % are inside IUCN categories iv, v, and vi protected areas, and 2.6 % are inside indigenous areas. Also, we indicate the most relevant protected areas for deer conservation in the Atlantic forest. The CPAs were classified into more human-influenced areas (MHIA) and less human-influenced areas (LHIA), and we identified 21 significant (greater than120 km²) continuous CPAs outside protected areas. We highlight actions in several perspectives of human influence, governance levels and law protection that would rationalise the use of funds and human resources.     

Forest protection in Central India: do differences in monitoring by state and local institutions result in diverse social and ecological impacts?

Protection of forests and wildlife outside protected areas (PAs) is necessary for the conservation of wildlife. Extension of conservation efforts outside the existing PA may result in restrictions on local forest resource use. Such situations arise due to differences in understanding of forest as a resource for communities and as a conservation space for endangered species. A clearer focus is needed on the functionality and socio-ecological outcomes of different forest management institutions to address such issues. We conducted a study in a forest landscape connecting Pench and Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserves (TRs) in Central India. The two main forest management institutions were the Forest Department (FD) and local communities managing forest resources. We conducted vegetation surveys and focus group discussions in 15 villages selected based on presence or absence of active protection and monitoring of forest resources by either FD or local people. We found that forests with monitoring had significantly higher tree density and vegetation species richness compared to forests without monitoring. Tree density was observed to be higher in sites monitored by villagers rather than those monitored by FD. Self-regulation and resource sharing in locally monitored forests were more acceptable to local communities. In forests monitored by the FD, local communities indicated a feeling of alienation from the forest that weakened their motivation to protect the forest and wildlife. Recognition of local community rights is essential to achieve conservation goals and reduce social conflicts outside PAs, requiring collaboration between state and local institutions.     

Community involvement in management for maintaining coral reef resilience and biodiversity in southern Caribbean marine protected areas

Climate change is posing new challenges to conservation because management policies on protected coral reefs are less effective than they were before the current ecosystem degradation. Coral reefs, the most diverse and complex marine ecosystem provide economic services for millions, but are seriously threatened worldwide because reef-building corals are experiencing bleaching phenomena and a steady decline in abundance. The resources of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Cartagena, Colombia, are in constant decline, despite a current management plan and on-site staff, urging new conservation actions. A multidisciplinary team gathered to evaluate management effectiveness including biophysical, socioeconomic and governance indicators. Coral cover and fish diversity and abundance were low both inside and outside the MPA, which suggests a limited efficiency of management. Currently, the MPA is a reef with low coral cover and high algae cover as well as large dead coral areas, which are generally signs of highly degraded reef habitats. Live coral cover in the MPA was represented by pioneer coral species such as Agaricia tenuifolia and Porites astreoides. Nonetheless, 35% of the scleractinian species sampled in the area harbored more than one zooxanthellae symbiont, which suggests potential resistance and resilience against coral bleaching. Maintenance of trophic structure and functional diversity is an important endeavor that should be a priority for management in order to allow ecosystem resilience. Social and governance indicators showed low-income levels and few opportunities for communities living in and around the park, low governability, weak communication among stakeholders and with authorities at different levels. As a result, problems related to over exploitation of resources were commonplace in the MPA. These results reflect low adaptive capacity of communities to comply with restrictive conservation rules, showing that establishment of a protected area is a necessary but insufficient condition to guarantee conservation goals. Ignoring the role of local communities only will exacerbate the problems associated with natural resources. Involvement of communities in strategic ecosystems management appears to be a requisite to improve effectiveness of protected areas, and participatory strategies, such as co-management, offer opportunities to improve governability while letting communities adapt to MPA needs.     

Relationships between anthropogenic disturbance,soil properties and plant invasion in endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland,Australia

Abstract Invasive exotic plants are a significant threat to areas of conservation value, with endangered ecological communities being especially vulnerable. We assessed the role of different anthropogenic disturbances in determining the success of exotic plants in the endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland community of western Sydney and examined the impact of these disturbances on soil characteristics that are likely to impact on vegetation, including total P, pH, water retention capacity, organic matter content and electrical conductivity. The disturbance types were: (i) land use incorporating clearing, agriculture and grazing by stock; (ii) creeks draining a developed catchment; and (iii) roads. Remnants that had been cleared and grazed had higher exotic and lower native species richness and cover than all other disturbance types. Areas that had been grazed but not cleared did not have more exotic species richness or cover than uncleared/ungrazed areas, thus retaining high conservation value. Areas within 2 m of a creek edge had higher exotic species richness and cover than areas further from the creek edge. Areas downslope of sealed roads had significantly higher exotic species richness and cover than areas below unsealed roads. No single soil attribute or combination of soil attributes was consistently able to account for variation in exotic species cover under the different disturbance types. Thus it appears that other factors such as site history and propagule pressure may be more important in determining exotic species success than soil characteristics alone, in this vegetation community.     

The Effects of Biogeography and Biotic Interactions on Lemur Community Assembly

Geographic patterns of biodiversity result from broad-scale biogeographic and present-day ecological processes. The aim of this study was to investigate the relative importance of biogeographic history and ecology driving patterns of diversity in modern primate communities in Madagascar. I collected data on endemic lemur species co-occurrence from range maps and survey literature for 100 communities in protected areas. I quantified and compared taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional dimensions of intra- and intersite diversity. I tested environmental and geographic predictors of diversity and endemism. I calculated deforestation rates within protected areas between the years 2000 and 2014, and tested if diversity is related to forest cover and loss. I found the phylogenetic structure of lemur communities could be explained primarily by remotely sensed plant productivity, supporting the hypothesis that there was ecological differentiation among ecoregions, while functional-trait disparity was not strongly related to environment. Taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity also increased with increasing topographic heterogeneity. Beta diversity was explained by both differences in ecology among localities and potential river barriers. Approximately 3000 km² were deforested in protected areas since the year 2000, threatening the most diverse communities (up to 31%/park). The strong positive association of plant productivity and topographic heterogeneity with lemur diversity indicates that high productivity, rugged landscapes support greater diversity. Both ecology and river barriers influenced lemur community ecology and biogeography. These results underscore the need for focused conservation efforts to slow the loss of irreplaceable evolutionary and ecological diversity.     

Climate change,biological invasions,and the shifting distribution of Mediterranean fishes: A large‐scale survey based on local ecological knowledge

Climate change and biological invasions are rapidly reshuffling species distribution, restructuring the biological communities of many ecosystems worldwide. Tracking these transformations in the marine environment is crucial, but our understanding of climate change effects and invasive species dynamics is often hampered by the practical challenge of surveying large geographical areas. Here, we focus on the Mediterranean Sea, a hot spot for climate change and biological invasions to investigate recent spatiotemporal changes in fish abundances and distribution. To this end, we accessed the local ecological knowledge (LEK) of small‐scale and recreational fishers, reconstructing the dynamics of fish perceived as “new” or increasing in different fishing areas. Over 500 fishers across 95 locations and nine different countries were interviewed, and semiquantitative information on yearly changes in species abundance was collected. Overall, 75 species were mentioned by the respondents, mostly warm‐adapted species of both native and exotic origin. Respondents belonging to the same biogeographic sectors described coherent spatial and temporal patterns, and gradients along latitudinal and longitudinal axes were revealed. This information provides a more complete understanding of the shifting distribution of Mediterranean fishes and it also demonstrates that adequately structured LEK methodology might be applied successfully beyond the local scale, across national borders and jurisdictions. Acknowledging this potential through macroregional coordination could pave the way for future large‐scale aggregations of individual observations, increasing our potential for integrated monitoring and conservation planning at the regional or even global level. This might help local communities to better understand, manage, and adapt to the ongoing biotic transformations driven by climate change and biological invaders.     

Effects of exotic annual grass litter and local environmental gradients on annual plant community structure

Exotic annual grasses have been introduced into many semi-arid ecosystems worldwide, often to the detriment of native plant communities. The accumulation of litter from these grasses (i.e. residual dry biomass) has been demonstrated to negatively impact native plant communities and promote positive feedbacks to exotic grass persistence. More targeted experiments are needed, however, to determine the relative impact of exotic grass litter on plant community structure across local environmental gradients. We experimentally added exotic grass litter to annual forb-dominated open woodland communities positioned along natural canopy cover gradients in southwest Western Australia. These communities are an important component of this region’s plant biodiversity hotspot and are documented to be under threat from exotic annual grasses. After a one-year treatment period, we measured the effects of exotic grass litter, soil properties, and canopy cover on native and exotic species richness and abundance, as well as common species’ biomass and abundances. Plant community structure was more strongly influenced by soil properties and canopy cover than by grass litter. Total plant abundances per plot, however, were significantly lower in litter addition plots than control plots, a trend driven by native species. Exotic grass litter was also associated with lower abundances of one very common native species: Waitzia acuminata. Our results suggest that exotic grass litter limits the establishment of some native species in this system. Over multiple years, these subtle impacts may contribute substantially to the successful advancement of exotic species into this system, particularly in certain microenvironments.     

Spatial and temporal patterns of changes in protected areas across the Southwestern United States

Protected areas are the core units for preserving habitats and ecological processes. Yet in most regions of the world their geographic, categorical, and institutional evolution remains poorly understood. Here, we report on changes in protected areas in the Southwestern US from 1890 to 2005. Our analysis used the dates of protection of individual parcels in the region to analyze changes by: (a) designating authority (e.g., congressional, administrative), (b) managing agency, (c) protected area types (e.g., wilderness), (d) elevation, (e) ecoregion, and (f) land cover class. In the 1990s, protected area additions tripled compared with the previous decade. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) managed the most protected area after 1990, surpassing that of the US Forest Service. Prior to 1990, most protected areas were found at high elevations, but more recent additions occurred at lower elevations. Land cover types represented in protected areas changed significantly over the last century, with protected areas in forest and woodland systems added prior to 1930 and shrubland, steppe, and savanna systems added after 1980. Additions by BLM occurred mostly by administrative designation. These areas are not permanently protected and so do not provide the level of protection afforded other additions. However these additions are critical for conservation of biodiversity across the region because they occur at elevations and in ecoregions and land cover types that are minimally protected otherwise. Our analysis yielded new insights about permanency, level of protection, and spatial distribution of protected areas, characteristics critical for biodiversity conservation.     

Restoring Tropical Dry Forest Communities: Effects of Habitat Management and Outplantings on Composition and Structure

We sought to increase the conservation value and ecological resilience of a disturbed woodlot on protected land in suburban Miami‐Dade County, Florida, by restoring a local tropical dry forest community. These efforts included adding 26 “novel native” tropical hardwood hammock species in different SR and density treatments, and conducting regular habitat management actions including exotic biomass removal. We monitored a variety of community composition and forest structure variables over 2 years to assess the success of our restoration efforts and the relative roles of habitat management versus native outplantings in achieving those outcomes. Habitat management proved influential to changing forest structure, while both habitat management and outplantings impacted changes in community composition, at least in the short term. Habitat management and outplantings in combination, however, allowed us to successfully (1) increase the number of native species and decrease the number of exotic species, (2) increase the number of protected plant species on the site, and (3) alter the community composition and forest structure of the site from that of a highly disturbed woodlot to that of a typical Miami Rock Ridge tropical hardwood hammock. Our success in meeting these restoration goals in just 2 years is one such example where simple native outplanting and exotic control projects can produce large returns with minimal resources in the form of time, money, and manpower. Finally, restoring regrowth sites or other remnant habitats may prove an efficient and effective way to conserve biodiversity and basic ecosystem processes in close proximity to metropolitan areas .     

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.     

Exotic plant invasion in the highly degraded upland landscape of Hong Kong, China

Plant communities in the continental tropics have suffered less from exotic plant invasions than their oceanic island counterparts. Most studies have focused on near-pristine communities. By contrast, we examine the resistance of semi-natural continental plant communities in Hong Kong, which have been suffering from chronic and massive human impacts. We compiled a list of all naturalized non-native species recorded in Hong Kong and then sampled the plant communities for exotic species along roadsides, a stream through semi-natural vegetation, and in semi-natural vegetation away from both roads and streams on Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong’s highest peak (957 m). Similar surveys were repeated in other areas of Hong Kong. More than 162 naturalized exotic plant species have been recorded in Hong Kong. On Tai Mo Shan, 29 exotic species were recorded in roadside vegetation, with the diversity but not percentage cover declining significantly with altitude. Fifteen exotic species were found along the stream, including two not found along the roadside. Only six exotic species were found away from roads and streams, all in unshaded areas disturbed by feral cattle. In all surveys, no exotics were found in closed woody vegetation or in open areas without feral cattle, except for one species. The shade-tolerant tropical Asian tree Syzygium jambos was found invading along some streamsides without anthropogenic disturbance. Despite centuries of massive human impacts, exotic plant invasions in Hong Kong are still largely confined to habitats that suffer from chronic human disturbance. Feral cattle promote invasion where people are absent, but this problem still seems potentially reversible. Only Syzygium jambos is of possible current conservation concern.     

保护区发展生态旅游的意义和途径

生态旅游在世界范围内正经历着一个蓬勃发展的时期,它是一个区域或一个保护区生态发展的重要内容,不仅对地区经济和社会发展有重要的促进作用,而且也是激励保护区进一步发展的动力。当然,过分强调经济收入,无控制地发展旅游,就可能引起不适当的开发或管理不周。导致生态破坏。因此,保护区发展生态旅游要有一个周密的规划,寻找旅游者的享受和自然保护之间的平衡。     

Resilience and restoration of tropical and subtropical grasslands,savannas, and grassy woodlands

Despite growing recognition of the conservation values of grassy biomes, our understanding of how to maintain and restore biodiverse tropical grasslands (including savannas and open‐canopy grassy woodlands) remains limited. To incorporate grasslands into large‐scale restoration efforts, we synthesised existing ecological knowledge of tropical grassland resilience and approaches to plant community restoration. Tropical grassland plant communities are resilient to, and often dependent on, the endogenous disturbances with which they evolved – frequent fires and native megafaunal herbivory. In stark contrast, tropical grasslands are extremely vulnerable to human‐caused exogenous disturbances, particularly those that alter soils and destroy belowground biomass (e.g. tillage agriculture, surface mining); tropical grassland restoration after severe soil disturbances is expensive and rarely achieves management targets. Where grasslands have been degraded by altered disturbance regimes (e.g. fire exclusion), exotic plant invasions, or afforestation, restoration efforts can recreate vegetation structure (i.e. historical tree density and herbaceous ground cover), but species‐diverse plant communities, including endemic species, are slow to recover. Complicating plant‐community restoration efforts, many tropical grassland species, particularly those that invest in underground storage organs, are difficult to propagate and re‐establish. To guide restoration decisions, we draw on the old‐growth grassland concept, the novel ecosystem concept, and theory regarding tree cover along resource gradients in savannas to propose a conceptual framework that classifies tropical grasslands into three broad ecosystem states. These states are: (1) old‐growth grasslands (i.e. ancient, biodiverse grassy ecosystems), where management should focus on the maintenance of disturbance regimes; (2) hybrid grasslands, where restoration should emphasise a return towards the old‐growth state; and (3) novel ecosystems, where the magnitude of environmental change (i.e. a shift to an alternative ecosystem state) or the socioecological context preclude a return to historical conditions.     

Initial soil amendments still affect plant community composition after nine years in succession on a heavy metal contaminated mountainside

Many efforts to restore disturbed landscapes seek to meet ecological goals over timescales from decades to centuries. It is thus crucial to know how different actions available to restoration practitioners may affect ecosystems in the long term, yet few such data exist. Here, we test the effects of seed and compost applications on plant community composition 9 years after their application, by taking advantage of a well‐controlled restoration experiment on a mountainside severely degraded by over 80 years of zinc smelting emissions. We asked whether plots have converged on similar plant communities regardless of initial seed and compost treatments, or if these initial treatments have given rise to lasting differences in whole plant communities or in the richness and abundance of native, exotic, and planted species. We found that compost types significantly affected plant communities 9 years later, but seed mix species composition did not. Observed differences in species richness and vegetative cover were negatively correlated, and both were related to the differences in plant communities associated with different compost types. These observed differences are due primarily to the number and abundance of species not in original seed mixes, of which notably many are native. Our results underscore the importance of soils in shaping the aboveground composition of ecosystems. Differences in soil characteristics can affect plant diversity and cover, which are both common restoration targets. Even in highly polluted and devegetated sites, compost and seed application can reinstate high vegetative cover and allow continued colonization of native species.     

Recreational Use of the Countryside: No Evidence that High Nature Value Enhances a Key Ecosystem Service

In Western Europe, recreational amenity is presented as an important cultural ecosystem service that, along with other values, helps justify policies to conserve biodiversity. However, whether recreational use by the public is enhanced at protected areas designated for nature conservation is unknown. This is the first study to model outdoor recreation at a national scale, examining habitat preferences with statutory designation (Site of Special Scientific Interest) as an indicator of nature conservation importance. Models were based on a massive, three year national household survey providing spatially-referenced recreational visits to the natural environment. Site characteristics including land cover were compared between these observed visit sites (n = 31,502) and randomly chosen control sites (n = 63,000). Recreationists preferred areas of coast, freshwater, broadleaved woodland and higher densities of footpaths and avoided arable, coniferous woodland and lowland heath. Although conservation designation offers similar or greater public access than undesignated areas of the same habitat, statutory designation decreased the probability of visitation to coastal and freshwater sites and gave no effect for broadleaved woodland. Thus general recreational use by the public did not represent an important ecosystem service of protected high-nature-value areas, so that intrinsic and existence values remain as the primary justifications for conservation of high nature value areas. Management of ‘green infrastructure’ sites of lower conservation value that offer desirable habitats and enhanced provision of footpaths, could mitigate recreational impacts on nearby valuable conservation areas.     

The Effect of a Disturbance Corridor on an Ecological Reserve

The effect of a pipeline corridor constructed through an ecological reserve in Southern California was investigated by assessing plant species composition and soil chemistry. A homogeneous plant community comprised primarily of exotic annuals was found along the entire length of the corridor. This community has low similarity to the adjacent native plant communities. Soil organic matter was significantly less on the disturbed corridor than in contiguous undisturbed areas. Both available nitrogen and extractable phosphorus values were greater in the disturbed corridor. By contrast, total nitrogen was significantly higher outside the pipeline. The more labile litter of the exotic annuals allows increased mineralization along the corridor than does the more recalcitrant litter of the native perennial shrubs in the undisturbed areas. Once established, the weedy exotic annual litter may completely turn over organic matter and nitrogen, favoring the persistence of the weedy annuals. These exotic annuals appear to be moving into three of the native communities - grassland, coastal sage, and oak woodland - that have less organic matter and a more open plant canopy. Poor restoration efforts can lead to the establishment of such exotics, subsequent invasion into the surrounding undisturbed habitat, and degradation of the reserve.     

Multidimensional analysis of landscape dynamics in a Central African forest-savannah mosaic

Most landscape cover assessments for conservation programmes rely largely on remote sensing analyses. These analyses, however, neglect how people inhabiting protected zones perceive and structure land cover. Using socio-ecological systems (SES) analysis in a forest-savannah mosaic on the Congo Basin forest edge (Democratic Republic of Congo), we investigated how human practices, landscape perceptions and land use patterns affected forest cover. We conducted remote sensing analysis using a Sentinel-2 satellite image and 187 GPS landmarks, producing a land cover map with 11 classes. Our results yielded an 81.85% correspondence with additional 164 GPS landmarks, a robust score in tropical areas. We conducted 40 individual interviews, eighteen focus group discussion workshops and nine months of participant observation of human practices to identify 19 land units and elaborate a granular SES system structuring the landscape. Integrating local knowledge and practices with general ecological and agronomic processes, we developed a landscape dynamics model revealing progressive forest colonisation of savannahs. Our methods demonstrate that a forest-edge landscape cover evaluation through remote sensing and local knowledge can contribute to finer-grained assessment of land cover and ecosystem services. This assessment can assist conservation efforts by considering local populations' practices on and perceptions of landscape change.     

厦门市重点保护植物空间优先保护格局研究

生物多样性保护对维持城市生态系统功能具有重要意义。以39种厦门市重点保护植物为对象,通过物种分布模型MaxENT获得物种潜在分布栅格图,利用空间保护优先化定量工具Zonation软件识别理论上既适宜重点保护植物生存又能够保证景观连通性的区域,获得本地重点保护植物景观保护等级。根据2020年全球生物多样性目标,将景观保护等级最高的17%区域视为多物种空间优先保护区,结合Zonation模型生成的随景观丧失物种加权灭绝风险曲线,将保护等级最高的8%区域划为一级保护区,保护等级在8%-17%范围内的区域划为二级保护区。利用MaxENT模型中的jackknife刀切法发现海拔是对本地重点保护植物分布影响最大的环境因子,优先保护区集中分布于海拔较低的海岸带区域。将优先保护区与自然保护地建设现状、厦门市生态功能区规划、土地利用规划、城市总体规划对比发现厦门市岛外西部、北部的优先保护区得到了较好保护;岛外的西南部及东南部、岛内的东部及南部海岸带的优先保护区被建设用地大规模占用,已纳入自然保护地范围的区域较少,存在大量的海岸带优先保护区保护空缺;岛外东南部的部分优先保护区虽未被占用,但规划中属发展备用地,缺乏生态保护。为避免优先保护区面积的进一步萎缩,应重点关注海岸带区域优先保护区的生态保护,将目前属于发展备用地的优先保护区转划为生态留白空间,针对一级、二级优先保护区分别实施刚性和弹性的生态保育措施,在保护生物多样性的同时,严控对海岸带区域优先保护区的进一步开发利用,协调优先保护区内保护与开发利用间的关系。     

Interacting Social and Environmental Predictors for the Spatial Distribution of Conservation Lands

Conservation decisions should be evaluated for how they meet conservation goals at multiple spatial extents. Conservation easements are land use decisions resulting from a combination of social and environmental conditions. An emerging area of research is the evaluation of spatial distribution of easements and their spatial correlates. We tested the relative influence of interacting social and environmental variables on the spatial distribution of conservation easements by ownership category and conservation status. For the Appalachian region of the United States, an area with a long history of human occupation and complex land uses including public-private conservation, we found that settlement, economic, topographic, and environmental data associated with spatial distribution of easements (N = 4813). Compared to random locations, easements were more likely to be found in lower elevations, in areas of greater agricultural productivity, farther from public protected areas, and nearer other human features. Analysis of ownership and conservation status revealed sources of variation, with important differences between local and state government ownerships relative to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and among U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) GAP program status levels. NGOs were more likely to have easements nearer protected areas, and higher conservation status, while local governments held easements closer to settlement, and on lands of greater agricultural potential. Logistic interactions revealed environmental variables having effects modified by social correlates, and the strongest predictors overall were social (distance to urban area, median household income, housing density, distance to land trust office). Spatial distribution of conservation lands may be affected by geographic area of influence of conservation groups, suggesting that multi-scale conservation planning strategies may be necessary to satisfy local and regional needs for reserve networks. Our results support previous findings and provide an ecoregion-scale view that conservation easements may provide, at local scales, conservation functions on productive, more developable lands. Conservation easements may complement functions of public protected areas but more research should examine relative landscape-level ecological functions of both forms of protection.