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In this study, we evaluated the integration of urban habitat data in spatial development documents across Poland's 28 largest cities and assessed the implications for urban environmental management and biodiversity conservation. The detailed habitat maps identify critical areas for protection, enhancing ecosystem services, and supporting nature-based solutions that positively impact residents' health and social cohesion. A total of 372 sources were analyzed and 467 habitat types were identified primarily from phytosociological surveys. However, only 33.2% of these habitats have been included in urban planning documents, highlighting a substantial integration gap. Complete taxa lists and habitat maps covering the entire city area, suitable for biodiversity management needs, are rarely included in urban planning documents. The findings have underscored the need for detailed habitat mapping to improve urban environmental management, biodiversity conservation, and public health promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective biodiversity protection is generally associated with a strict rule of law and democratic participation in environmental decision making. Norway's exceptional ranking in terms of governance, however, has failed to be a predictor of effective biodiversity protection. Through a systematic review of the main regulatory frameworks relevant to protecting biodiversity in Norway, this article analyses the misconceptions, perverse incentives and institutional bottlenecks that lie at the centre of the problem. The analysis finds three overarching barriers that regulatory frameworks have created to the effective protection and promotion of biodiversity in Norway, namely, a governance system based on diffuse legal obligations and responsibilities, excessive trust in private operators and considerable discretion to local entities. Accordingly, this article proposes three enabling factors, and related reform suggestions, for mitigating such barriers and domesticating earth system governance in biodiversity matters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate a tritrophic system whose cyclic dominance is modelled by the rock–paper–scissors game. We consider that organisms of one or two species are affected by movement limitations, which unbalances the cyclic spatial game. Performing stochastic simulations, we show that mobility unevenness controls the population dynamics. In the case of one slow species, the predominant species depends on the level of mobility restriction, with the slow species being preponderant if the mobility limitations are substantial. If two species face mobility limitations, our outcomes show that being higher dispersive does not constitute an advantage in terms of population growth. On the contrary, if organisms move with higher mobility, they expose themselves to enemies more frequently, being more vulnerable to being eliminated. Finally, our findings show that biodiversity benefits in regions where species are slowed. Biodiversity loss for high mobility organisms, common to cyclic systems, may be avoided with coexistence probability being higher for robust mobility limitations. Our results may help biologists understand the dynamics of unbalanced spatial systems where organisms' dispersal is fundamental to biodiversity conservation. • Stochastic simulations of the rock–paper–scissors model with organisms facing mobility limitations were performed. • The pattern formation is investigated in the case of one or two species slowed by environmental mobility restrictions. • Species predominance is studied in terms of mobility unevenness in the cyclic spatial game. • The benefits of the mobility limitations for avoiding biodiversity loss are quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Maintaining biodiversity is a key goal of global forest policy which promotes ecosystem health and resilience in the face of changing land use and climate. Sustainable management of forest ecosystems is essential to the social and economic services that forests provide, is an important component of the environmental policies of national governments, and is a specific focus of the Conventional on Biological Diversity. Sustainable forest management supports the maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity, and relies on evidence based research to underpin associated policies and practices. Studies that take a focussed approach are particularly helpful in this regard where they identify mechanisms of ecological change in forest habitats, and predictors appropriate to determining the impact of management practices. Observational research can suggest likely mechanisms for ecological change, which can be tested and confirmed through experimental research. Predictors based on long-term research, on the mechanisms underlying ecological relationships, or on modelling approaches can be used to infer information about existing forests and to forecast future trends. This special issue presents a selection of papers which were first presented at the second international IUFRO conference on biodiversity in forest ecosystems and landscapes at University College Cork, Ireland in August 2012. The aim of this conference series is to ‘share knowledge, discuss new trends, reflect on future directions in biodiversity management for sustainable forestry, and provide a stronger scientific basis for biodiversity management in forest landscapes in the light of climate change’. The selected papers exemplify the use of observational and experimental approaches to identify mechanisms of ecological change in forests, and the use of indicators to predict current and future patterns of biodiversity. Trends in forest biodiversity were examined and discussed, drawing on what we know about forests to reconstruct ancient forested landscapes and to identify strategies for the management of forests into the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Species distribution models (SDMs) have been used to forecast the impact of climate change on species' potential distribution, with results that might support decisions for conservation and biodiversity management. Despite their vulnerability to parameterization and data quality input, SDM use has been increasing in the last decades. In fact, inappropriate inputs and the lack of awareness about the effects of methodological decisions on results can lead to potential unreliability in results, a problem that might gain relevance when SDMs are used to predict climate change impacts on species-suitable areas. Aiming to assess how far such a topic is considered, an analysis of the calibration data and methodological decisions was conducted for recent publications (2018 to 2022) that include SDMs in this context, aiming to identify putative deviations from the consensual best practices. Results show that the parameters presented more consistently are the algorithm in use (MaxEnt was used in 98% of the studies), the accuracy measures, and the time windows. But many papers fail to specify other parameters, limiting the reproducibility of the studies. Some papers fail to provide information about calibration procedures, others consider only a fraction of the species' range, and others provide no justification for including specific variables in the model. These options can decrease reliability in predictions under future scenarios, since data provided to the model are inaccurate from the start or there is insufficient information for output discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global biodiversity crisis and constantly growing human impact on the natural environment call for more evidence where conservation actions are the most urgent. As the agricultural lands are under increased pressure of growing human food needs here the literature survey on farmland bird conservation (FBC) was conducted to reveal geographical distribution in research intensity, the topics addressed and to identify potential drivers for the worldwide scientific effort. The Scopus database search has revealed 2290 papers dedicated to FBC from the period 1990-2020. The distribution was spatially uneven with most papers published in Western Europe and North America. Scientific collaboration was also spatially biased in favor of countries located close to each other and having high scientific capacity. The analysis also revealed 139 terms representing main topics raised in FBC research. The number of FBC papers per country was positively correlated with Gross Domestic Production (GDP), the total number of scientific papers, and number of threatened species, and negatively with the GDP from agricultural production, whereas it was not related to area of agricultural lands or bird species richness. Spatial and thematic biases in studies of farmland birds may have important consequences since uneven scientific evidence constrains development of proper conservation solutions and limits their implementation. We conclude that research on FBC should be globally coordinated and flexible enough to undertake burning conservation problems adjusted to regional differences in agriculture, socio-economy, and bird diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processes occurring within small areas (patch-scale) that influence species richness and spatial heterogeneity of larger areas (landscape-scale) have long been an interest of ecologists. This research focused on the role of patch-scale deterministic chaos arising in phytoplankton assemblages characteristic of “Rock-Paper-Scissors” population dynamics (i.e., competitively non-hierarchical). We employed a simple 2-patch model configuration with lateral mixing and through-flow, and tested the robustness of species richness at the scale of the landscape and spatial heterogeneity. Three different assemblages were used that in a dimensionless box model configuration exhibited chaotic behavior. Our results showed that when a spatial dimension was added to the model configuration, and when all species were shared between patches (i.e., no invading populations), chaos-induced species richness and spatial heterogeneity were quickly reduced with the onset of mixing. While assemblages in each patch were comprised of exactly the same species, they differed in their proportional population densities due to differing stages of succession and the incidence of alternative assemblage structures. Even at very low mixing rates (0.001d−1), which produced low passive migration rates (0.1% of the total biomass per day), the incidence of high richness and heterogeneity decreased by ∼80%. Interestingly, this sensitivity was not the same for the three assemblages tested. Declines in species richness and spatial heterogeneity associated with mixing were greater in assemblages comprised of competitively dissimilar species (based on the area occupied in the resource-tradeoff space defined by the R* model). The underlying mechanisms may involve the degree to which nutrient dynamics are altered with the arrival of immigrants. Our findings suggest that in partially to well-mixed aquatic systems, the roles of patch-scale non-hierarchical competition and chaos as factors maintaining species richness and spatial heterogeneity may be limited. However, in aquatic systems that experience periods of very low mixing, or even disconnection, non-hierarchical competition and chaos might indeed contribute significantly to biodiversity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Environmental classifications are of paramount importance for assessing the impacts of land-use changes, for prioritizing conservation efforts, and for developing effective management strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of human activities. The aim of our research was to provide as complete an analysis as possible of the studies that have been carried out using the Braun-Blanquet approach. The global review of studies based on the Braun-Blanquet approach includes 1168 papers and was conducted using the PRISMA 2009 methodological recommendations, strict criteria for the selection/quality of papers, and modern methods of data analysis and visualization using VOSviewer software developed by Nees Jan van Eck and Ludo Waltman (Centre for Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) of Leiden University in the Netherlands) (version 1.6.18), which ensures a representative sample, minimization of subjective judgements, and reliability of conclusions. It was noted that the number of publications on Braun-Blanquet is growing exponentially. This is an indication of the scientific interest in this methodology and its continuous further development. Based on a detailed analysis of the keywords, the main research directions and challenges are identified. These include improving the conceptual and methodological foundations of the Braun-Blanquet approach; improvement in regional vegetation classifications, synthesizing them and producing a comprehensive classification for large areas as a basis for biodiversity conservation and sustainable land use; expansion of the geography; compilation and updating of databases of phytosociological data; management of dynamics and vegetation; discussion of the important problem of continuity and discreteness of vegetation in the context of ecological classifications; and vegetation mapping. The top 20 journals publishing the most cited articles were identified, as well as the top 20 most cited journals whose high citation rate is due to the large number of high-quality articles. The analysis of the bibliographic network of papers in dynamics has shown that the structure of relationships is not constant and has changed significantly. The analysis of the authors' publication activity showed that the vast majority of researchers have a low publication activity and have published only one to three papers. A peculiarity also emerges: if all the most cited authors are concentrated in Eurasia, then most of the most actively published authors are outside Eurasia. The importance of the Braun-Blanquet approach for the study and classification of forest vegetation should be emphasized. In this case, the Braun-Blanquet approach is integrated into forest typologies, increasing their ecological validity and environmental relevance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) are sites outside of protected areas that deliver the effective, long-term conservation of biodiversity. Both protected areas and OECMs contribute to the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework's Target 3, which calls for the conservation of 30% of marine, terrestrial and inland water areas by 2030. This paper provides the first global assessment of the contribution of OECMs to GBF Target 3. Between 2019 and 2023, 820 sites in nine countries and territories were reported to the World Database on OECMs, covering 1.9 million km2 of the Earth's surface and, in the terrestrial realm, contributing over 1% to the 30% coverage target. Notably, over 50% of reported OECMs are under governance by governments and less than 2% are governed by Indigenous peoples and local communities. In countries and territories that have reported OECMs, a far greater proportion of OECMs than protected areas are under shared governance (40.9% compared to 2.5%), and collaborative governance is the most common governance sub-type among reported OECMs. This paper finds that almost 30% of the 820 reported OECMs overlap with identified Key Biodiversity Areas, which are one global classification of areas of particular importance for biodiversity. With Target 3's pressing deadline of 2030, there is an urgent need to scale up understanding and local to national engagement with the OECM framework, ensuring that it fulfills its potential to recognize diverse forms of equitable governance and effective conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests and related environmental assets are crucial for fostering environmental and socioeconomic development. Different forest management paradigms, such as sustainable forest management, ecosystem-based forest management, adaptive management, multiple-use forest management, and restoration ecology, have influenced the policy formulation of different countries at different times. However, while implementing forestry development reforms, few documented studies have explored the changing forest management paradigms and their implications on the sustainability of forests and societies in many developing countries. A case study design and literature review using document-content analysis was used to evaluate secondary data obtained from online sources. This paper aims to explore the changes in forest management paradigms in Kenya from 1968 to the present to contribute to a better understanding of the strategies needed to achieve sustainable forest management in the future. Results show that Kenya has implemented three formal forestry policies since independence in 1963. These include Sessional Paper No. 01 of 1968, Forest Policy of 2005, and the National Forest Policy of 2014. The evolving forest management paradigm reflects a progression from Sessional Paper No. 01 of 1968 to subsequent forest policies in 2005 and 2014. The 2005 and 2014 forest policies emphasize holistic ecosystem management and ecosystem services and integrate a human rights-based approach to community involvement. Moreover, all three forest policies have had positive and negative implications for Kenyan society. The Forest Policy and the National Forest Policy demonstrated more positive environmental and socioeconomic outcomes, such as increased forest cover, biodiversity conservation, community empowerment, poverty alleviation, and improved transparency compared to the Sessional Paper No. 01 of 1968. Unfortunately, some negative consequences include conflicting stakeholder interests, elite capture, and slow decision-making. Based on these findings, there is a need for policy impact assessment, addressing the adverse effects of policy, and long-term monitoring for sustainable future forest policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountains cover 24% of the land surface area and are home to 12% of the population of the world. The mountains within the Indian Himalayan region account for 16.2% (500, 000 km2) of India's total land area and while there is an age-old tradition of biodiversity conservation in this region, the area is under stress due to human population growth and climate change. Therefore, this region requires conservation management activities, however, our study has shown a substantial decrease in publications in this area between 2004 and 2019. In this study, we completed a bibliometric analysis to explore biodiversity protection in the Himalayas. The analysis revealed valuable information regarding current research trends as well as research gaps. This study uses bibliometric analysis to examine the changing landscape of biodiversity protection in the Himalayas. The study analysed 425 journal papers published from 2004 to 2023. This article contributes to understanding studies on Himalayan management challenges, including endangered species conservation, environmental protection, ecosystem dynamics, and conservation management. We hope this paper inspires scientists to complete research in the areas lacking data such that a baseline can be established and policies can be developed to support biodiversity conservation in the Indian Himalayas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity is in rapid decline globally with agriculture being one of the leading causes. Within agricultural landscapes, some features provide a benefit to biodiversity that is disproportionate to their spatial area. An interesting example is artificial ponds–or farm dams–which can support a large variety of taxa. Here, we present a global review of farm dam research related to biodiversity conservation objectives to provide an overview of the topics, key research insights, and the characteristics of current research. We used a three-stage process to screen literature and identified 104 relevant papers across 27 countries encompassing studies of 13 different taxa. Most of the studies were short-term (less than 5 years) with small sample sizes (less than 20 sites). Of the 104 papers, 88 were focussed primarily on ecological outcomes, such as species richness or abundance, and 15 on primary production outcomes, such as crop and livestock yield, despite addressing or measuring ecological metrics. Only one study measured both ecological and primary production outcomes. Studies frequently examined how the features of dams (79 studies) and attributes of the surrounding landscape (47 studies) impact particular species and communities. Terrestrial mammals (1 study) were under-represented in the literature with macrophytes (28 studies), macroinvertebrates (26 studies), and amphibians (19 studies) receiving the most attention. Our results reveal a growing trend towards recognizing farm dams as habitats for various taxa, including amphibians, beetles, dragonflies, and other macroinvertebrates within agricultural environments. Significant knowledge gaps exist in understanding how dam age, invasive species, and effective management practices impact the biodiversity conservation values of farm dams. Future research should emphasize enhancing biodiversity by collaborating with landholders to increase habitat through strategic vegetation planning, minimizing runoff and nutrient inflow, and restricting stock access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a gap analysis approach to evaluate whether the genetic resources conserved in situ in protected areas are adequate for conifers in western Oregon and Washington (U.S.A.). We developed geographic information system layers that detail the location of protected areas and the distribution and abundance of each tree species (noble fir [Abies procera Rehd.] and Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menzeisii Mirb.]). Distribution and abundance were inferred from available spatial data showing modeled potential and actual vegetation. We stratified the distribution of each species into units for genetic analysis using seed and breeding zones and ecoregions. Most strata contained at least 5000 reproductive-age individuals in protected areas, indicating that genetic resources were well protected in situ throughout most of the study region. Strict in situ protection was limited, however, for noble fir in the Willapa Hills of southwestern Washington. An in situ genetic resource gap arguably occurred for Douglas-fir in the southern Puget lowlands, but this gap was filled by extensive ex situ genetic resources from the same region. The gap analysis method was an effective tool for evaluating the genetic resources of forest trees across a large region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using radiotelemetry, we discovered that the Three-wattled Bellbird (Procnias tricarunculata ), one of Central America's largest frugivorous birds, has the most complex migratory pattern yet recorded for a tropical species. The annual migration cycle included 2- to 5-month stopovers in four distinct life zones: two middle-elevation and two lowland sites separated by as much as 200 km. We captured and radio-tagged bellbirds during 4 years between July and September in middle-elevation forest fragments of the Pacific slope, 6 km from Monteverde in the Tilaran mountain range of north-central Costa Rica. These habitats, which exist almost exclusively as small, isolated fragments on private farms, are poorly represented (<2%) in Costa Rica's system of protected areas. During September and October, the bellbirds migrated from this site to the northeast into the lowland Atlantic forest of southeastern Nicaragua and northeastern Costa Rica. In Costa Rica these habitats have been heavily fragmented. In Nicaragua they remain intact but are highly threatened. In November and December, the bellbirds migrated from these Atlantic forests to heavily modified, little-protected forests along the Pacific coast of southwestern Costa Rica, where they remained until March. Here, most individuals utilized forest remnants and second growth on private property. In March the Bellbirds moved from the coastal areas to middle-elevation (1000–1800 m) moist forest on the Atlantic slope of the Tilaran mountains sites, where they bred. In June and July, they left the breeding area and moved back across the continental divide of the Tilaran Mountains to return to the middle-elevation Pacific slopes where they had been captured. Our findings demonstrate the complicated ecological integration of geographically dispersed tropical ecosystems and the need for comprehensive conservation strategies that include representation of the full array of regional habitats and a greater emphasis on maintaining connectivity. The bellbird's migratory pattern reveals serious inadequacies in protected-area networks of Costa Rica, a country that is considered to have one of the best systems of national parks and reserves in the Neotropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the impact of forest restoration on the genetic diversity of plants. Restoration efforts, whether active or passive, can have positive effects on biodiversity conservation and environmental stability. The choice of restoration method and the source of propagules used can influence long-term genetic diversity. Studies have shown mixed results regarding the genetic diversity of restored populations compared to natural areas, with some finding similar values and others showing higher diversity in restored populations. Factors such as pollination and seed dispersal mechanisms, as well as the surrounding landscape, can also affect genetic diversity. Overall, forest restoration can be an effective tool for maintaining genetic diversity and conserving biodiversity. [Extracted from the article]

Simple Summary: Today's zoos and aquariums claim to be shifting from being entertainment facilities to centers for the conservation of biodiversity. To make this shift, scientific research, including understanding the biology of endangered species and improving the environment of captive animals, is essential. Several studies have examined the trends in the number of research papers published by zoos and aquariums globally and indicated that this number has increased over the past few decades. In this study, we examined the trends in the number of papers published by Japanese zoos and aquariums over the past 62 years to determine whether research activities are also developing in Japan. We found that the number of research papers has significantly increased and that the research fields have diversified since around 1990. However, we also found some problems: about a quarter of the institutions have published no papers, research targets in zoos were biased toward captive mammals and that aquariums conducted little research on animal welfare. Addressing these issues, we would argue, will help Japanese zoos and aquariums to make further progress. With the shift in their social roles, modern zoos and aquariums are required to develop scientific research. Although zoos and aquariums worldwide have reported an increase in the number of papers they publish and the diversification of their fields in recent decades, the specific circumstances in Japan are slightly unclear. We listed peer-reviewed papers authored by Japanese zoos and aquariums using search engines and quantitatively evaluated the changes in the number of papers published over 62 years. Our results showed that papers published in Japan have increased remarkably since the 1990s, and research fields have diversified as in the rest of the world. In particular, joint research with research institutes has seen an upward trend, and the instances of English-language papers have increased. Meanwhile, the content of the research was biased. In zoos, research on animal welfare has been increasing, but the focus was heavily biased toward captive mammals. Aquariums contributed to the understanding of local ecosystems through the fundamental study of wildlife, but there were fewer papers on improving husbandry. Our results indicated that while research by Japanese zoos and aquariums is developing, research on welfare, conservation, and education regarding native endangered species must still be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food security and biodiversity conservation are key challenges of the twenty-first century. While traditionally these two challenges were addressed separately, recently, papers have begun to specifically address the nexus of food security and biodiversity conservation. We conducted a structured literature review of 91 papers addressing this nexus. To ascertain how a given paper approached the topic, we assessed to what extent it covered 68 potentially relevant issues. The resulting dataset was analyzed using cluster analysis. Two main branches of literature, containing a total of six clusters of papers, were identified. The 'biophysical-technical' branch (clusters: 'sustainable intensification' and 'production focus') was dominated by the natural sciences, focused strongly on the production aspect of food security, and sought general solutions. In contrast, the 'social-political' branch (clusters: 'social-ecological development'; 'empowerment for food security'; 'agroecology and food sovereignty'; and 'social-ecological systems') often drew on the social sciences and emphasized social relations and governance, alongside broader considerations of sustainability and human well-being. While the biophysical-technical branch was often global in focus, much of the social-political branch focused on specific localities. Two clusters of papers, one from each branch, stood out as being particularly broad in scope-namely the clusters on 'sustainable intensification' and 'agroecology and food sovereignty.' Despite major differences in their conceptual basis, we argue that exchange between these two research clusters could be particularly helpful in generating insights on the food-biodiversity nexus that are both generally applicable and sufficiently nuanced to capture key system-specific variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endangered species detection plays an important role in biodiversity conservation and is significant in maintaining ecological balance. Existing deep learning-based object detection methods are overly dependent on a large number of supervised samples, and building such endangered species datasets is usually costly. Aiming at the problems faced by endangered species detection, such as low accuracy and easy loss of location information, an efficient endangered species detection method with fewer samples is proposed to extend the few-shot object detection technique to the field of endangered species detection, which requires only a small number of training samples to obtain excellent detection results. First, SE-Res2Net is proposed to optimize the feature extraction capability. Secondly, an RPN network with multiple attention mechanism is proposed. Finally, for the classification confusion problem, a weighted prototype-based comparison branch is introduced to construct weighted category prototype vectors, which effectively improves the performance of the original classifier. Under the setting of 30 samples in the endangered species dataset, the average detection accuracy value of the method, mAP50, reaches 76.54%, which is 7.98% higher than that of the pre-improved FSCE method. This paper also compares the algorithm on the PASCOL VOC dataset, which is optimal and has good generalization ability compared to the other five algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]