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Conservation decisions are challenging, not only because they often involve difficult conflicts among outcomes that people value, but because our understanding of the natural world and our effects on it is fraught with uncertainty. Value of Information (VoI) methods provide an approach for understanding and managing uncertainty from the standpoint of the decision maker. These methods are commonly used in other fields (e.g. economics, public health) and are increasingly used in biodiversity conservation. This decision‐analytical approach can identify the best management alternative to select where the effectiveness of interventions is uncertain, and can help to decide when to act and when to delay action until after further research. We review the use of VoI in the environmental domain, reflect on the need for greater uptake of VoI, particularly for strategic conservation planning, and suggest promising areas for new research. We also suggest common reporting standards as a means of increasing the leverage of this powerful tool. The environmental science, ecology and biodiversity categories of the Web of Knowledge were searched using the terms 'Value of Information,' 'Expected Value of Perfect Information,' and the abbreviation 'EVPI.' Google Scholar was searched with the same terms, and additionally the terms decision and biology, biodiversity conservation, fish, or ecology. We identified 1225 papers from these searches. Included studies were limited to those that showed an application of VoI in biodiversity conservation rather than simply describing the method. All examples of use of VOI were summarised regarding the application of VoI, the management objectives, the uncertainties, the models used, how the objectives were measured, and the type of VoI. While the use of VoI appears to be on the increase in biodiversity conservation, the reporting of results is highly variable, which can make it difficult to understand the decision context and which uncertainties were considered. Moreover, it was unclear if, and how, the papers informed management and policy interventions, which is why we suggest a range of reporting standards that would aid the use of VoI. The use of VoI in conservation settings is at an early stage. There are opportunities for broader applications, not only for species‐focussed management problems, but also for setting local or global research priorities for biodiversity conservation, making funding decisions, or designing or improving protected area networks and management. The long‐term benefits of applying VoI methods to biodiversity conservation include a more structured and decision‐focused allocation of resources to research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern species distribution modelling (SDM) began in 1984 with the launch of the BIOCLIM program in Australia. With more than 900 papers mentioning 'species distribution model' published around the world to date, SDM is one of the most active areas of global ecology. Three books published in 2009, 2011 and 2017 have reviewed SDM, and the closely related areas of ecological niche modelling and habitat suitability modelling. All three books provide excellent introductions to these topics, but give very little information on the role that BIOCLIM played in laying the foundation for these research areas. Understanding the history of BIOCLIM is vital because it was the first package to implement the basic SDM process in an easy‐to‐use integrated system. It provided what are still the most commonly used set of 19 bioclimatic variables and contributed to the development of the interpolation routines used to prepare the most commonly used source of bioclimatic data (WorldClim). Early BIOCLIM studies investigated important issues such as ecological niche, invasion risk, conservation planning and impacts of climate change. Although all three books acknowledge that the BIOCLIM package was important in early SDM research, they all deal with the pioneering work very briefly and omit important details which are described here. Virtually all current SDM studies owe something to the pioneering BIOCLIM work, but this is rarely acknowledged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses topics like restoring plant ecology, nature conservation and restoration of plant communities inorder to help protect the environment.

Pentecostal Movements are those Christian religious movements founded in the 1950s and 1960s to date. Pentecostal environmentalism focuses attention on the need to maintain the environment according to the dictate of the Christian religious injunctions. This practice is achieved through the practice of sacred place, which is a designation of some earth surface as holy ground, and is retained for religious and spiritual purposes. These places include mountains, hills, rivers, streams, valley etc. and are deemed to possess religious mysteries and potent spiritual qualities. This practice is also observed in the Old Testament and is also part of the practice of the African traditional religions. In similar fashion, the Pentecostal movement shares many elements of traditional practices and the Old Testament, and as such sacred place has found its way into the practices of the Pentecostal movement. Environmental degradation, pollution, climate change, deforestation are all major global challenges today. Hence, the practice of sacred places and environmental ethics are among several efforts that can be used to tackle the problem of biodiversity loss arising from a range of environmental challenges. Furthermore, Pentecostal environmentalism further engages in the debate on eco-theology. This paper, therefore, serves as a platform to showcase the efforts of the Pentecostal movement towards ecological preservation, biodiversity conservation and the debate among scholars of eco-theology through environmental ethics and sacred places within the purview of Pentecostal religious spirituality. The paper employed a literary descriptive method since the research is qualitative in nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological connectivity, as a research method related to spatial ecology and conservation biology, has attracted increasing attention from researchers at home and abroad in recent years. Habitat connectivity, as a key link in ecological connectivity, is of great significance to promote coastal ecological restoration and protection. However, there has been less systematic research about habitat connectivity due to lack of corresponding theories and practices. Therefore, this paper discusses habitat connectivity from three aspects: (1) the concept of habitat connectivity is introduced and clarified; (2) the application of connectivity in artificial habitat and adjacent waters and its relationship with biodiversity conservation are reviewed and illustrated with examples; and (3) the future development trends of this research direction are summarized and prospected in order to provide a scientific basis and useful reference for the related work of coastal restoration projects in China. Generally, this paper argues that an increase in human behaviour irreversibly destroys the connectivity between marine habitats and threatens the spatial and temporal scales of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Therefore, the theoretical research results and practical experience of ecological connectivity should be fully applied to marine ecosystems, and the restoration of degraded ecosystems should be encouraged and supported in ways that promote natural recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The accurate evaluation of the relationship between nature reserves and poverty is highly significant for the harmonious coexistence between human and nature. It is widely recognized that the establishment of nature reserves is of great importance to the income poverty of farmers, but less attention has been paid to the impact of different reserves on the multidimensional relative poverty of farmers. Based on the survey data of Panda Nature Reserves in China, we analyze the influence of reserve regulation (or not) and regulation intensity on the multidimensional relative poverty of farmers and its mechanism. Results show that farmers in reserves are more likely to fall into multidimensional relative poverty than those outside the reserves, and there is a U‐shaped relationship between regulation intensity and multidimensional relative poverty. Further, the mechanism analysis show that, on average, the establishment of reserves has no significant impact on farmers' resource utilization capability, but too high or too low regulation intensity will affect farmers' resource utilization capacity, and aggravate their multidimensional relative poverty. The conclusions of this paper are not only conducive to the expansion of theoretical research on regulation and poverty, but also provide policy implications for realizing the coordinated development between biodiversity conservation of nature reserves and rural livelihood. Recommendations for Resource Managers: The effects of the regulation of nature reserves on the relative poverty of farmers is analyzed in this paper. We find that there is a "quantity" problem of the impact of reserve regulation on the farmers' relative poverty. The following implications could be realized based on the observations: •When identifying the relative poverty of farmers, it is necessary to make an in‐depth analysis from the perspectives of economic poverty and multidimensional poverty, and provide targeted and accurate assistance policies for different types of farmers.•The formulation and implementation of the reserve regulations should consider the difficulty of farmers' livelihood transformation to balance the relationship between the community development and ecological protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land‐use changes and the expansion of protected areas (PAs) have amplified the interaction between protected and unprotected areas worldwide. In this context, 'interface processes' (human–nature and cross‐boundary interactions inside and around PAs) have become central to issues around the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. This scientific literature review aimed to explore current knowledge and research gaps on interface processes regarding terrestrial PAs. At first, 3,515 references related to the topic were extracted through a standardized search on the Web of Science and analyzed with scientometric techniques. Next, a full‐text analysis was conducted on a sample of 240 research papers. A keyword analysis revealed a wide diversity of research topics, from 'pure' ecology to sociopolitical research. We found a bias in the geographical distribution of research, with half the papers focusing on eight countries. Additionally, we found that the spatial extent of cross‐boundary interactions was rarely assessed, preventing any clear delimitation of PA interactive zones. In the 240 research papers we scanned, we identified 403 processes that were studied. The ecological effects of PAs were well documented and appeared to be positive overall. In contrast, the effects of PAs on local communities were understudied and, according to the literature focusing on these, were very variable according to local contexts. Our findings highlight key research advances on interface processes, especially regarding the ecological outcomes of PAs, the influence of human activities on biodiversity, and PA governance issues. In contrast, main knowledge gaps concern the spatial extent of interactive zones, as well as the interactions between local people and conservation actions and how to promote synergies between them. While the review was limited to terrestrial PAs, its findings allow us to propose research priorities for tackling environmental and socioeconomic challenges in the face of a rapidly changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We synthesise the findings from 10 years of ecological restoration in the Midlands of Tasmania, Australia, captured in the series of 14 papers in this special issue of Ecological Management and Restoration. The papers illustrate how expertise from disciplines as diverse as law, economics, social sciences, the arts, education, zoology, botany, genetics, climate modelling, agriculture, spatial sciences and fire ecology are necessary to address the complex social, ecological and financial questions that underpin restoration ecology. We highlight the complexity of the task, the multi‐disciplinary and collaborative approach needed, the importance of science to inform restoration practice and the problem of achieving functional connectivity. We also outline steps that need to be taken in the next 10 years. Together, the outcomes and recommendations from these studies provide a template for restoration in similar highly cleared and degraded agricultural landscapes affected by climate change in Australia and internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the often-cited challenges in biodiversity conservation is financing. But publications on financing are mostly confined to specific financial mechanisms, regions and actors. Fewer attempts have been made to find overall trends. Through a thematic review of 64 peer-reviewed articles, covering different disciplines and published since 2010, this study found three dominant themes recurring around the topic of biodiversity financing: underfunding, inefficient funding distribution and the pursuit for innovative financial mechanisms. Estimates of the funding gap are much higher than previously calculated and continuously increasing given the acceleration of new threats. Proposals for better targeting of available finances advocate for the use of priority protocols focussed on objectivity and efficiency. However, in practice funding allocation does not seem to follow objective indicators and remains quite inconsistent with conservation needs. This analysis shows that at the core of innovative financial mechanisms are new strategic networks between governments, civil society and businesses. Understanding these new networks is crucial for better capturing the patterns of pooling, mixing and directing financial flows, and the subsequent implications for policy and prioritization criteria. This paper argues that theories focusing on networks and flows could present a useful perspective for future studies on biodiversity financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Most of the human interaction with nature affects ecosystems, influencing human life quality. The aquaculture industry plays a pivotal role in global food security, but its growth poses multifaceted challenges to environmental conservation, urging the implementation of sustainable measures to safeguard aquatic ecosystems. In this context, Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) have emerged as a pioneering approach to incentivize and ensure sustainable practices within the aquaculture sector. This study emphasizes the fundamental role of PES, it highlights its substantial impact in ameliorating environmental repercussions, conserving biodiversity, and enhancing water quality within aquacultural zones. The study underscores the importance of collaborative efforts among stakeholders and advocates for effective monitoring systems to reinforce the efficacy of PES initiatives in fostering sustainable aquaculture practices. By centering on Romania's aquacultural context, this paper provides crucial insights into the implementation of PES within diverse socio-economic and environmental landscapes, contributing pertinent perspectives to the overarching discourse on sustainable aquaculture practices worldwide for a safe future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-actor labs (MALs), a form of real-world social experiments, were implemented in three coastal-rural regions in France (Charente River Basin), Spain (Mar Menor), and Greece (South-West Messinia) to better assess and tackle coastal-rural interactions that govern local sustainability challenges, such as water use conflicts and biodiversity degradation. The MALs used pan:icipative methodologies based on systems thinking and transition management. Stakeholders were continuously engaged in a series of workshops to co-produce knowledge, reach a common understanding of the sustainability challenges and issues at stake, and co-design solutions in the form of roadmap for sustainable transitions in coastal-rural regions. This paper evaluates MALs to provide examples of successful sustainability transition experiments based on the outputs produced, outcomes achieved, and processes used in the three coastal, rural regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural forest expansion (NFE), that is, the establishment of secondary forest on non-forested land through natural succession, has substantially contributed to the widespread expansion of forests in Europe over the last few decades. So far, EU policies have largely neglected the potential of NFE for meeting policy objectives on restoration. Synthesising recent interdisciplinary research, this paper assesses the challenges and opportunities of NFE in view of contributing to European forest and ecosystem restoration. Specifically, we discuss the potential for supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and forestry and economic use, summarize the current knowledge about societal perceptions and the policymaking on NFE, and make policy recommendations to better use the potential of NFE. We conclude that NFE has the potential to contribute to the European restoration policy agenda if local contexts and possible trade-offs are properly considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Formatio Circumiectus is the property of Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rolniczego im. Hugona Kollataja w Krakowie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Rhino Bond is the first financial instrument dedicated to protecting a species. The Bond allows investors to invest in the conservation of the black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis , with the amount of money returned by the investment depending on whether rhinoceros numbers increase (and by how much). In this paper we focus on how the Bond was brought into being. We draw on an analysis of organizational reports along with data collected from interviews with key informants to investigate the roles of the various stakeholders in the Bond, how species and sites were selected, the motivations and experiences of the stakeholders and the involvement of stakeholders in decision-making. We found that although conservation actors are attracted by the potential for new funding, they have experienced challenges navigating complex financial instruments. The needs of financial actors often dictated decision-making, with implications for the species and sites chosen for the Bond. As profits are tied to an increase in population size of a specific species (which needs to be monitored), the instrument has favoured large and easily counted species and populations. Only some sites were able to meet the stringent conditions of financial instruments, including metrics on financial sustainability. We argue that the dominance of financial principles and motives means that not all species or sites will be viable candidates for investment and that conservation finance should not be seen as a panacea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guinea‐Bissau, an important regional biodiversity hotspot in West Africa, faces the challenge of raising awareness among the general public about the significance of natural resources for rural communities' survival and the need for biodiversity conservation. This knowledge gap hinders conservation efforts as initiatives are deemed irrelevant or unnecessary. A climate of political vulnerability, financial uncertainty and threats to media freedom are further obstacles to conservation biology. Researchers lack established communication platforms for academic dissemination. In this paper, we introduce the initiative News for Nature/PRIMACTION (2020–2022), which aimed to establish a communication channel between researchers and media agents. The project had two primary objectives: firstly, to raise awareness among the Guinea‐Bissau society about the importance of national biodiversity and conservation challenges; and secondly, to enhance the capacity of specific communicators and opinion makers. The project had several important outputs, including: i) a bi‐monthly newspaper section focused on "biodiversity conservation in Guinea‐Bissau", ii) three radio‐theatre episodes performed by a well‐known group and broadcasted nationally, iii) one song composed and sung by famous musicians, with an introduction by Jane Goodall, and iv) a website providing technical resources for journalists covering biodiversity and conservation news. Collaborators mentioned the lack of logistical conditions for traveling in the country as a major impediment in reporting conservation‐related news. We emphasize the significance of establishing direct contact and articulation between researchers and local media to promote conservation research in West African countries. In countries where science communication and environmental education outreach are not well‐established, it is crucial to bridge the challenges faced by the communities in different regions of the same country. This is especially urgent in cases where such challenges are significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization can create uncertainty for biodiversity. Understanding the spatial distribution of trees along urban-rural gradients is crucial for sustainable land management and the conservation of biological diversity. However, limited information is available on the factors influencing the distribution of trees outside forests along urban-rural transition gradients. This paper uses the Preferred Reporting items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) to review how distance from urban centers, land use types, socio-economic disparities, and community attitudes and perceptions impact the spatial distribution of trees outside forests along urban-rural gradients. The review indicates that the species composition, diversity, density, and spatial arrangement of trees outside forests vary along the urban-rural gradient. The most commonly cited factors influencing this distribution are respondents' attitudes and perceptions of trees, socio-economic factors, and land use variations. Distance from the urban center was the least cited factor. However, there is significant variation in how different factors impact this distribution from study to study. Therefore, further research is needed to better understand the factors driving changes in the diversity of trees outside forests in various urban-rural contexts and to determine whether variations exist across different settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on the UN Global Indigenous Youth Forum in October 2023, held at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in U.S. It mentions that the conference was focused on addressing the challenges faced by Indigenous youth, their food systems, and knowledge, as well as climate action and biodiversity conservation.

The integrated farming system (IFS) is a holistic farming approach specially designed for small/marginal farmers to enhance the system productivity, profitability, and employment generation of their farm, ultimately ensuring their food and nutrition security for their livelihood. The mechanism of IFS offers various ecosystem services making farms environment‐friendly, sustainable, and climate‐resilient. IFS is characterized by the allocation of different agricultural components systematically in a single farm performing synergistically among themselves making the farm more productive, healthy, biodiversity enriched, and eco‐friendly than simplified farms. Therefore, this review paper represents an extensive analysis of existing literature on IFS exploring its concept, components, and need, and emphasizing its potential for higher system productivity, profitability, and employment generation in a sustainable manner. Moreover, it develops a conceptualization of the relationship among different agricultural components in a single farm exploring its role in ecosystem services (reducing greenhouse gases, carbon sequestration, nutrient recycling, improving soil health, and biodiversity conservation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a hybrid analytical framework to comprehensively assess luxury game lodges within protected areas such as Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS). The framework, developed through a synthesis of diverse Social-Ecological Systems (SES) models and tools, encompasses eight key steps, from sustainability context assessment to creating a tailored managerial-ecology model. By systematically analysing ecological, social, and economic dimensions, this framework empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions that balance biodiversity conservation, sustainability, and community engagement in luxury game lodge operations. Its practical application promises to advance the coexistence of ecotourism and environmental protection, fostering the long-term viability of these vital tourism destinations within protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the huge degree urbanization, industrialization and related regular change furthermore, its effect on biodiversity addresses a danger to human life and subsequently there is a need to seek after modern improvement with a feeling of obligation. It is conceivable through manageable turn of events. Maintainable advancement proposes balance among natural and formative worries. The Indian Apex Court has been proactive in bringing in maintainable advancement standards from global natural regulation into the Indian regulation through various legal devices and systems. This paper breaks down the idea of practical turn of events and commitment of Indian High Court in laying out the standards of manageability for the public authority and the advancement advocates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of studies in agroforestry have primarily focused on boosting agricultural production, income generation, component interaction and less emphasized on the aspect of biodiversity. Several studies have called for more investigation to address the lack of understanding regarding the significance of agroforestry in conservation of plant biodiversity. This paper examined the role of agroforestry practices in conservation of perennial plant species diversity and the relationship that the perennial plant species diversity has with altitude, slope, and household wealth status. Data was collected from 216 sample plots of agroforestry practices using a multi-stage sampling system. The relationship between diversity indices and explanatory variables such as agroforestry practices, household wealth, altitude, and slope gradients were assessed using a generalized linear mixed model. The impact of these variables on plant species composition was evaluated using the Adonis2 function. Sorenson dissimilarity measures were used to determine the dissimilarities in species composition. A total of 135 perennial plant species with 58 families were identified, with natives accounting 68.15% of the total. The Fruit-tree-based agroforestry practices maintained significantly higher observed and expected number of species (p < 0.05). The values of the mean species richness, Shannon diversity, and Margalef indices per plot, were found to be 6.1 ± 0.65, 1.53 ± 0.32 and 6.37 ±.045 respectively. The dissimilarity in species composition between the two agroforestry practices was 0.53 while the Sorensen multiple-site dissimilarity measures among the kebeles was 0.72. The coffee-shade-tree based agroforestry practices deserved higher importance value index of species. The species richness, Shannon diversity and the importance value indices were significantly differed with respect to slope, altitude, agroforestry practices and household wealth status (p < 0.001). The species composition varied along altitudinal gradients, household wealth status and across the study kebeles (p = 0.005, 0.013, and 0.029, respectively). Finally, it is argued that agroforestry practices should be given more emphasis as a way of perennial plant species reservoirs in relation to the various socioeconomic and ecological factors in order to counterbalance the local threat of perennial plant species from their natural habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic potentials of rice cultivars will need to be expressed to their fullest if global rice production is to be expanded enough by 2050 to meet the increased demand of the expanding population while the availability of land and water per capita dwindles. New and 'improved' rice varieties have contributed greatly to increased production over the past 50 years, but the rate of rice yield increase based on genetic changes has declined in recent decades compared with the early years of the Green Revolution. In fact, many rice consumers continue to prefer to consume 'traditional' rice varieties (referred to also as local, native, unimproved, or indigenous varieties) because of their taste, aroma, texture, and other qualities. Furthermore, many farmers prefer to cultivate these varieties because of their better adaptation to local climatic and soil conditions and their evolved resistance to endemic stresses. The practices that comprise the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), including transplanting rice seedlings at a young age, wide spacing between plants, keeping the soil well aerated rather than inundated, and enhancing soil organic matter, provide traditional rice varieties with micro-environments that are more favorable for the expression of their genetic and agronomic potentials. Interactions among rice plants, soil characteristics, water, energy, and other inputs improve the phenotypic and physiological performance of rice plants. This paper considers how the cultivation of traditional rice varieties with SRI methods can raise yields, reduce farmers' costs of production, and generate higher incomes while contributing to the conservation of rice biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi‐rotor drones equipped with acoustic sensors have great potential for bioacoustically monitoring vocal species in the environment for biodiversity conservation. The bottleneck of this emerging technology is the ego‐noise from the rotating motors and propellers, which can completely mask the target sound and make sound recordings unusable for further analysis. The ego‐noise not only degrades the performance of bioacoustic monitoring but also impacts the behaviour of target species if the drone is too close to the target area. In this paper, we address this challenging problem by combining hardware and software solutions that minimize the impact of drone ego‐noise on bioacoustic monitoring.To collect the target sound from the ground, we used a shotgun microphone recording system suspended underneath the drone body with a wire rope (steel fishing line) of length 2 m. The suspended rope puts a large distance between the drone and the recorder, reducing the propeller sound perceived by the microphone. The shotgun microphone enables the sound to be picked up from the ground effectively while rejecting the drone sound from above. We further developed a software solution that aims to automatically recognize the bird species from the bird call recording and we proposed a noise‐augmented training scheme to improve the robustness of bird recognition in the presence of strong drone noise.We evaluated the performance of the system in a test problem of recognizing 20 bird species with in‐flight recordings, where a loudspeaker on the ground simulates bird calls. The recordings were obtained using a drone hovering at various altitudes ranging from 5 to 30 m. By combining the hardware and software solutions, the system recognizes birds robustly at an altitude of 30 m and signal‐to‐noise ratio −25 dB.This demonstrates the feasibility of our drone audition system for bioacoustic monitoring. The proposed method overcomes a long‐standing bottleneck problem in drone audition and promises new applications of bioacoustic monitoring in research and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China prioritizes ecological civilization construction and embraces the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." Great achievements have been made in ecological protection and restoration through implementing a series of policies and projects. This paper reviews the history of ecological restoration in China and the current development of the "integrated protection and restoration project of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts (IPRP)." Furthermore, the characteristics of IPRP were systematically elaborated from the perspectives of the ecological civilization thought, the policy management, and the key scientific issues. Also, the current achievements were summarized in the fields of national ecological space management, biodiversity conservation, and ecological protection and restoration. Existing challenges in management policy, scientific issues, and engineering practices were highlighted. Future perspectives include ecological space control, nature-based Solutions, biodiversity big data platform, modern techniques, and value realization mechanisms of ecological products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas are considered the backbone of biodiversity conservation, but their management often fails because local people are not involved, and their needs are ignored. A socioecological approach has been demonstrated to be effective in improving the relationship between conservation efforts and human wellbeing through a better understanding of the interdependence between nature and people. This relationship can be observed through the case of the Kichwa indigenous communities within Yasuní National Park, Ecuador, as they have retained a very close relationship with forest ecosystems. Using key respondent interviews, along with semi-structured interviews and focus groups, this research describes the complex relationship between changing forest ecosystems and human wellbeing. The results highlight food, health, and cultural identity as the most important benefits that communities obtain from forests. The research also sheds light on how people in the investigated area perceive the dynamics of socioecological systems, indicating petroleum, infrastructure development, and small-scale agriculture as the most important direct drivers and land governance and the presence of colonists as the most important indirect drivers of changes to forest ecosystems. This paper demonstrates the importance of monitoring socioecological systems and adapting management to balance complex economic, social, and ecological challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article aims to analyze scientific information in the scientific literature, data provided by the main herbaria in the country, and information collected from the spontaneous flora regarding the presence of the C. avellana species on the territory of Romania. Also, the distribution of C. avellana species has been analyzed according to the average annual temperature and the amount of average annual precipitations in Romania. The presence of the species on the territory of Romania was reported approximately 125 years ago in the "Conspectus of Romanian Flora" paper. In southwestern Romania, the species has been identified in different locations, for example, dendrological parks and natural parks. The practical value of this species is given by its edible fruits, which are valuable both for food and medicinal point of view or due to their agronomic characteristics. A primary objective for biodiversity conservation regarding this species should be protecting forested areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban green spaces provide ecosystem services that directly or indirectly benefit people, however, urban growth (especially in developing countries) generates the loss of these green areas and consequently of their ecosystem services. This paper aims to present the effects of land use and land cover changes in the last 30 years on two basic urban ecosystem services, water flow regulation and local and regional climate in two of main Latin American megacities (São Paulo and Mexico City). The study focuses on urban green spaces because they reduce the urban heat island effects, improve air quality, create habitats for biodiversity conservation, provide cultural services, and contribute to flooding prevention and groundwater conservation. A spatial analysis with the aid of geographic information systems was performed to assess (i) the urbanization process of the Metropolitan Areas of both cities over time; (ii) how this process generated changes in the land cover in both metropolises, and (iii) how these changes caused environmental negative impacts on ecosystem services. The loss of green areas as a consequence of urban expansion in the Metropolitan Areas of São Paulo and Mexico City changed the spatial distribution of urban heat island and increased the surface runoff, generating floods during the rainy periods. Our results suggest the urgent need for implementation of ecosystem-based spatial planning and ecological restoration of urban green areas in both studied cities to prevent further losses in ecosystem services and to improve the quality of life of urban inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the general phenomenon of diminishing genetic diversity, especially in cattle, the conservation of endangered species plays a primary role. The disappearance of some animal populations can irreparably affect the biodiversity of genetic resources. Among the most ancient European cattle are breeds that belong to the Podolian group, the history of which is still not well established. The common origin of these breeds is the wild ox (Bos taurus primigenius), which has been declared extinct since the 17th century. The purpose of this paper is to highlight and compare the latest studies on the origin, evolution, genetic diversity, and phylogenetic relationships of Podolian cattle, with special emphasis on the endangered Romanian Grey Steppe. The importance of studying these cattle derives from the special biological properties by which they have distinguished themselves over time (adaptability and resistance to diseases, severe climate and habitat conditions, hardiness, and longevity). The bibliographic references reviewed in this study confirm that these breeds are carriers of valuable genes that must be preserved for improvement of other cattle and protection of biodiversity. The information presented represents a valuable tool for efforts to conserve endangered cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European islands are hotspots of biological and cultural diversity, which, compared to mainland, are more vulnerable to climate change, tourism development, uncontrolled landuse changes and the consequences of financial crisis. These drivers of change have increasingly resulted in severe impacts on socio-economic and environmental parameters. Projected climate, land-use and socio-economic change will impact on islands' biodiversity, ecosystem services and, in turn, on the quality of life of island inhabitants. Even if the existing methods can adequately predict the abovementioned changes of the larger islands, this is not the case for small and medium-size islands, where there is a need for refinement. Although ecosystem services (ES) assessments have been carried out worldwide in different geographical areas, islands are still under-represented. Despite the recognised islands' importance and vulnerability, efforts to date have focused solely on the pressures they face. Still, we know little about ES supply, flow and demand and their spatio-temporal variability, whilst integrated approaches that consider ES cross-island realms (terrestrial, marine and their interface) remain scarce. Even more underrepresented are studies that explore the telecoupled relationship amongst islands and their mainland counterparts. Moreover, the current conceptual approaches guiding ES mapping and assessment need further refinement to account for the complex manifestations of nature and culture arising from peoples' interaction with island spaces. This paper discusses the creation of a platform for coordinated interdisciplinary research on several aspects of mapping and assessment of ES in small and medium European islands in order to synthesise and strengthen the knowledge base for conservation of island realms and contribute to their sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participatory landscape conservation is an innovative approach that weaves together theoretical models and practical applications. Intertropical regions, such as Mexico, face challenges to conciliate regional governability, social justice, and nature conservation. The State of Michoacan is one of these regions where such challenges are exacerbated, particularly nature conservation, due to ongoing territorial disputes. We implemented the participatory landscape conservation approach by creating a complementary form of protected area to deal with ongoing conflicts, drought conditions, and extreme poverty. We conducted participatory mapping and landcover/use analyses as the main methodological tools to reach consensus among stakeholders. We integrated, macro, micro, and social scales to provide sound arguments to integrate local, scholar, and policy makers' perceptions. The outcomes of the participatory mapping analyses were assessed. The present paper provides evidence of the positive outcome of using The Participatory Landscape Conservation Approach to establish a Biosphere Reserve, safeguarding one of the most biologically diverse and delicate ecosystems consisting of seasonally dry tropical forests within a rather disputed region. We discussed the relevance of our findings and compared them to ongoing regional and global trends in light of other forms of establishing long-term multistakeholder agreements, as is the case for protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Around the world, countries have introduced laws and policies designed to prevent species extinction. While there have been some success stories, overall, these laws and policies are routinely failing. Extinction rates continue to climb. However, the law is necessary to regulate the human-environment interactions that form the basis of the drivers of extinction and biodiversity loss, including land-clearing, the discharge of greenhouse gases and the introduction of invasive species. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the literature specifically on biodiversity conservation law, to review and describe the commonalities in laws and legal systems that can be considered successful, or unsuccessful. Laws for the conservation of biodiversity form a critical component for minimising the drivers of extinction, with species extinction being an extreme outcome of biodiversity loss. We reviewed 128 publications from around the world to ascertain and synthesise best practices in law and policy that aim to protect and conserve biodiversity (herein termed 'biodiversity conservation law'). The literature demonstrated that when it comes to biodiversity conservation law, the concept of 'best practice' is elusive, and does not necessarily equate to a reversal in species decline. Further, most western countries utilise the same legal mechanisms (also known as policy tools) for biodiversity conservation, although some countries implement these laws more effectively than others. In this paper, we explore and explain several common legal mechanisms discussed across the range of literature, including species listing and recovery plans, protected area regulation, stewardship, restoration, and offset and no net loss schemes. We also explore the necessity of biodiversity and climate mainstreaming across all laws and highlight the need to engage in genuine partnerships and collaborations with First Nations communities. This paper, and the principles explored herein, should assist law and policymakers to regulate more effectively and explain to those in the conservation sciences where research should be directed to improve the science-policy interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widely held assumption that any important scientific information would be available in English underlies the underuse of non-English-language science across disciplines. However, non-English-language science is expected to bring unique and valuable scientific information, especially in disciplines where the evidence is patchy, and for emergent issues where synthesising available evidence is an urgent challenge. Yet such contribution of non-English-language science to scientific communities and the application of science is rarely quantified. Here, we show that non-English-language studies provide crucial evidence for informing global biodiversity conservation. By screening 419,679 peer-reviewed papers in 16 languages, we identified 1,234 non-English-language studies providing evidence on the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation interventions, compared to 4,412 English-language studies identified with the same criteria. Relevant non-English-language studies are being published at an increasing rate in 6 out of the 12 languages where there were a sufficient number of relevant studies. Incorporating non-English-language studies can expand the geographical coverage (i.e., the number of 2° × 2° grid cells with relevant studies) of English-language evidence by 12% to 25%, especially in biodiverse regions, and taxonomic coverage (i.e., the number of species covered by the relevant studies) by 5% to 32%, although they do tend to be based on less robust study designs. Our results show that synthesising non-English-language studies is key to overcoming the widespread lack of local, context-dependent evidence and facilitating evidence-based conservation globally. We urge wider disciplines to rigorously reassess the untapped potential of non-English-language science in informing decisions to address other global challenges. Please see the Supporting information files for Alternative Language Abstracts. A survey of 419,680 peer-reviewed papers in 16 languages reveals that non-English-language studies can expand geographical (by 12-25%) and taxonomic (by 5-32%) coverage of English-language evidence on the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation interventions, especially in biodiverse regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests are major sources of energy, timber and non-timber forest products, medicinal and aromatic plants, hydrological functions, biodiversity conservation, and also fundamental sources of revenue collection to the nation. Studies indicate that forests could significantly enhance economic growth and create employment opportunities for local communities under intensive management. This paper aims to predict the contribution of the forest sector to the national economy. The economic facets of forestry considered in this paper are revenue generated from timber, non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), and protected areas. The ARIMA model was used to forecast the economic contribution of the forestry sector. The study found that the total revenue generated from the selling of timber and fuelwood (USD 50.19 million) was higher than the total revenue collected from protected areas (USD 37.58 million) and NTFPs/MAPs (USD 6.9 million) in the past 15 years. The model projected that the mean revenue for the timber and fuelwood sale will USD 3.5 million for the next ten years. Similarly, the mean revenue will be generated about USD 0.5 million and USD 6.2 million from NTFPs/MAPs and protected areas, respectively, for the next ten years. The study limits to take account the in-kind use of forest products such as timber, fodder, fuelwood, etc., as used by community people within a forest users' groups. Thus, practicing sustainable forest management, enabling policy documents, establishing forest-based industries, establishing forestry nurseries, conducting agroforestry practices, and tenure security could enhance the forestry sector's economic aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitats have been undergoing significant changes due to environmental processes and human impact that lead into habitat fragmentation and connectivity loss. To improve quality habitats and maintain ecological connectivity, elements that improve the connectivity of habitats need to be identified. To meet this goal, finding optimal pathways locations plays a key role for designing corridors for biodiversity conservation. Conducted in the Castilla y León region of Spain, this paper aims to determine optimal pathways and to enhance the connectivity of protected areas. To this end, three different scenarios were developed including the Natura 2000 network and their surroundings (Natura 2000, Level 0, and Level 1). We used Restoration Planner (RP) available in GuidosToolbox to analyze the network and detect pairwise optimum restoration pathways between the five largest network objects. Our results demonstrate that connector density varies across the region for each scenario. There was also a large variability in the length of connectors. Connectors were found mainly distributed around the center and northwestern part of Castilla y León. This paper also suggests that proposed new restoration pathways should increase in the study area. Thus, the findings can be used effectively for extensive planning and interpretation in biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest certification is a private, voluntary and market-driven instrument designed to promote responsible forest management. This paper focused on the FSC and the NOM NMX-AA-143-SCFI-2008 schemes used in Mexico for the certification of sustainable forest management. In this paper we used the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) to study the factors that determine the main impacts of forest certification in México. A panel of 30 experts was selected as decision-makers to find which principles, criteria and indicators are considered as the most relevant while implementing forest certification. For decision-makers, the environmental principle occupied the first place with 40.26% of importance in the implementation of forest certification, followed by the social principle, and the economic principle with 32.15% and 27.59% of importance, respectively. Regarding the criteria, forest management and production, biodiversity, and forest protection were considered to be the most relevant. Regarding the indicators, the results indicated that forest certification in Mexico can have a positive impact on the existence of educational institutions, community services such as water, energy, medical services and drainage, the quality of the forest management plans, investment in forest management, machinery and equipment, environmental services, recreation, tourism, research, development and community education, planning for the conservation of biological diversity, and planning for biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even if there is an increasing public awareness of biodiversity loss, there still is the need to improve individuals' behaviours in favour of biodiversity conservation, such as composting or buying pollinator-friendly plants. Why do individuals who know about the risks of biodiversity loss, not change their lifestyles to promote biodiversity? The main aim of this paper is to empirically identify the psychological barriers to biodiversity conservation behaviours, with a specific attention to individuals' perception of the psychological distance of biodiversity loss. To this purpose, 270 individuals were asked to complete a questionnaire. Data demonstrated that six main psychological barriers prevent behavioural change, depending on individuals' perceived psychological distance as well as on the specific features of the behaviour considered. Our findings constitute a significant theoretical complement to previous research on behavioural change to respond to environmental threats, as it specifically investigates the psychological barriers resulting in citizens' inaction with regard to biodiversity loss. Furthermore, our paper offers advice for policy-makers, deciding bodies, and associations involved in biodiversity conservation on the cognitive barriers that they might be confronted to when addressing citizens and promoting their engagement in individual and collective actions in favour of the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several authors have recommended that the incorporation of different stakeholders and the implementation of a holistic approach including social, economic, and ecological components be considered critical factors for the long‐term success of restoration programs. These recommendations are especially important for identifying priority areas to restore. We conducted a review of scientific studies on the identification of priority areas for restoration in terrestrial biomes with the objective of determining whether these considerations have been taken into account over time. Our main questions were: (1) What is the context, publication year, journals, author and co‐author affiliation of these published studies? (2) Have stakeholders been involved in the identification of priority areas for restoration? (3) What have been the main goals for the identification of priority areas for restoration? (4) What are the main criteria used to prioritize areas? Has the inclusion of social and economic criteria increased over time? We analyzed all the scientific studies about this topic published between 2008 and 2018. We found 64 studies, of which 70.3% did not incorporate stakeholders whatsoever in the identification of priority areas for restoration and 18.8% of them considered only experts as stakeholders. Approximately 87.5% of the studies had biodiversity conservation as their main goal; 10.9% also included social goals and 9.4% socioeconomic goals. All the studies considered ecological criteria, and the main criterion was to increase landscape connectivity. We conclude that there is still a need for greater inclusion of other approaches besides ecology in the identification of priority areas for restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic variation among populations is reflected in biogeographic patterns for many species, but general rules of spatial genetic variation have not been established. In this paper, we establish a theoretical framework based on projecting environmental Grinellian niches back through time to relate the present geographic distribution of population genetic structure to a given species' historical evolutionary context. Thanks to advances in next‐generation sequencing technologies, as well as more accurate climate models and the amassing of information stored in biological collections, it is possible to implement this theoretical framework directly. We develop a case study of the tassel‐eared squirrel Sciurus aberti to jointly analyze spatial, environmental, and genetic data to predict the historical endemic area of this species. Our results reveal that in cases of genetic isolation by geographic distance, the prevalence of environmental suitability over time corresponds to the genetic fixation index (Fst) of populations with respect to a source population. Populations closer to the historical endemic area show higher genetic diversity and a lower Fst value. This empirical example relates back to the theoretical framework, allowing two further advances: 1) a layer of biogeographic explanation for the results obtained from population genomic methods; and 2) predictive maps of this genetic structure to support biodiversity conservation efforts. Overall, this work advances a perspective that integrates population genetics with historical patterns of species distribution. The limitations posed in the theoretical framework should be considered before implementing the suitability prevalence area (SPA) in a general way over different taxa. Otherwise, the predictability of the genetic diversity of populations as a product of environmental stability over time may not be adequate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors offer a commentary on the article "Commentary: The role of palaeoecology in reconciling biodiversity conservation, livelihoods and carbon storage in Madagascar" by G. S. Joseph and C. L. Seymour. Topics include the investigation made by the authors on the longevity of open grasslands in the Highlands of Madagascar, reason that binary allocations to forest and/or grassland habitats are problematic, and evidence for the effects of anthropogenic fire according to Seymour and Joseph.

• South Africa ranks third in global flowering plant barcode data. • The country has submitted more than 12,000 DNA barcode records to BOLD. • Endemic families and taxa are underrepresented, leaving significant data gaps. • Underutilised resources and funding constraints hinder data growth in the region. • Urgent need for collaboration, targeted sampling, and database harmonisation. South Africa, a global biodiversity hotspot, faces escalating threats to its rich plant diversity, including habitat loss, climate change, invasive species, and illegal harvesting. These threats are further exacerbated by the country's taxonomic impediment, which hinders both conservation and sustainable development efforts. This paper assesses the efficiency of DNA barcoding as a tool for species identification and biodiversity conservation within the South African context. While DNA barcoding offers promising applications in conservation, significant gaps and challenges persist. We provide a comprehensive overview of plant barcoding initiatives in South Africa – by querying the public data portal for plant barcoding records, 12,456 published specimen records encompassing 159 families and ca. 3,449 species were returned. These numbers highlight historical progress, database contributions, technological advancements, and taxonomic coverage. Despite South Africa contributing the third-highest number of Magnoliophyta records to the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD), significant gaps in endemic families and geographic regions highlight the urgent need for targeted DNA barcoding initiatives and increased collaboration, as only ca. 16 % of the known flora has been barcoded. The underutilisation of BOLD and financial constraints pose significant barriers to expanding plant barcoding records. However, advancements in sequencing technologies offer cost-effective solutions. We advocate for concerted efforts to enhance DNA barcoding utilisation, harmonise databases, and prioritise sampling of underrepresented taxa to effectively preserve South Africa's diverse plant life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's forestry practices, integrated management is the prevailing approach. One method gaining traction is retention forestry, where certain trees, known as biotope trees providing microhabitats (TreMs), are preserved during harvesting operations. This article delves into hands-on training for marking interventions using marteloscope plots, focusing specifically on 'Pokojná hora,' a 1-hectare plot situated in the southeast of the Czech Republic. Field surveys were conducted using FieldMap technology, capturing essential data for all trees: coordinates, species, diameter, height, and health status. Additionally, details such as wood quality, economic value, microhabitats, and habitat value were documented for each tree. Forestry engineering students virtually mapped out interventions on the marteloscope plot, testing 11 solution variants across 2 scenarios to strike a balance between economic goals and biodiversity conservation. The plot hosts 155 microsites, predominantly on Fagus sylvatica (common beech) with 108 microsites. The likelihood of TreMs increases with tree diameter, while the correlation between a tree's economic value and its diameter was confirmed. Optimal management suggests maintaining 10 habitat trees per ha to reconcile economic and ecological objectives during harvesting operations. In essence, we contend that the adoption of retention forestry practices coupled with marteloscope training can play a pivotal role in arresting biodiversity decline within forest ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests are crucial for supporting various ecosystem functions and biodiversity, but they are vulnerable to global change drivers such as climate change and land use change. The special issue "How belowground biodiversity affects ecosystem functions of forests" explores the relationship between belowground biodiversity and ecosystem functions in forests. The papers in the special issue cover topics such as the potential drivers of soil microbial biodiversity, the effects of belowground biodiversity on multiple ecosystem functions, and the implications for future research. The findings highlight the importance of belowground biodiversity in maintaining ecosystem functions and provide insights for forest management and biodiversity conservation. [Extracted from the article]

How best to incentivize land managers to achieve conservation goals in an economically and ecologically effective manner is a key policy question that has gained increased relevance from the setting of ambitious new global targets for biodiversity conservation. Conservation (reverse) auctions are a policy tool for improving the environmental performance of agriculture, which has become well‐established in the academic literature and in policy making in the US and Australia. However, little is known about the likely response of farmers to incentives within such an auction to (1) increase spatial connectivity and (2) encourage collective participation. This paper presents the first framed field experiment with farmers as participants that examines the effects of two features of conservation policy design: joint (collective) participation by farmers and the incentivization of spatial connectivity. The experiment employs farmers in China, a country making increasing use of payments for ecosystem services to achieve a range of environmental objectives. We investigate whether auction performance—both economic and ecological—can be improved by the introduction of agglomeration bonus and joint bidding bonus mechanisms. Our empirical results suggest that, compared to a baseline spatially coordinated conservation auction, the performance of an auction with an agglomeration bonus, a joint bidding bonus, or both, is inferior on two key metrics—the environmental benefits generated and cost effectiveness realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]