Search

At present, the protection of birds, especially endangered birds, faces major challenges. In the process of protection, birds are often mixed with various drones, and it is difficult to accurately count the number of endangered birds, especially at night, which brings great difficulties to bird protection work. So tracking and identifying birds and drones is essential to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of bird conservation efforts. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a new multi-target tracking (MOT) model based on the combination of YOLOv9 detection algorithm and DeepSORT tracking algorithm. Firstly, the original RepNSCPELAN4 module is replaced by CAM context feature enhancement module in Backbone to improve the model’s ability to extract small target features. Following this, the AFF channel attention mechanism has been integrated with RepNSCPELAN4 in the Head section to create the RepNSCPELAN4-AFF module, which aims to better address semantic and scale inconsistencies. Finally, a new RepNSCPELAN4-AKConv module has been developed using the AKConv dynamic Convolution module to replace the RepNSCPELAN4 module in the original Head section, enabling the model to more effectively capture detailed and contextual information. In the bird-UAV visible light comprehensive dataset proposed in this study, the mAP0.50 and F1 Score of all categories are 81.3% and 71.9% respectively by the improved YOLOv9-DeepSORT model. The mAP0.50 and F1 scores of individual birds are 89.1% and 82.4%, respectively. Compared to the Basic YOLOv9 model, the former improves by 7.9% and 5.3%, while the latter improves by 23.9% and 17.0%. On infrared datasets, compared to the original model, the mAP0.50 and F1 scores of the improved model improved by 3.2% and 1.4% across all categories compared to the original model. The average accuracy of identifying individual birds and similarly shaped fixed-wing drones also improved by 2.2% and 7.5% respectively. Moreover, on the mixed visible light and infrared data sets, the model get mAP0.50 of 81.8% higher 0.9% than that of the YOLOv9. These experiments demonstrate the improved YOLOv9-DeepSORT method can expand the multiscene application range of bird recognition and tracking models, effectively promoting the extraction of video frame features in multi-target tracking.

In this study, the protection motivation theory (PMT) was used to investigate factors influencing self-reported willingness to donate and actual donations to conserve endangered bird species. The PMT was extended to include sociodemographic factors (gender, age, education, and income), as well as knowledge about and attitudes toward birds. Data were collected in Germany through an online questionnaire (N = 579, MAge = 49.15, SD = 16.93, women = 51.6 %). Regression analyses showed that the cognitive assessment processes of the PMT, (1) threat appraisal of endangered bird species, and (2) coping appraisal of threat toward endangered bird species were significant predictors of an individual’s willingness to donate. An individual’s attitudes toward birds strengthened willingness to donate, but not actual donations. Knowledge about birds had no influence on willingness to donate or actual donation behavior. Women were more likely to donate and higher perceived barriers were associated with lower rates of actual donations. A discrepancy between willingness to donate and actual donations is evident, which indicates an intention-behavior gap. The results suggest that conservation and education campaigns should be used to increase the population's awareness of existing threats toward endangered bird species, including the constructs of PMT, which could positively influence both willingness to donate and actual donations. Similarly, engagement initiatives could target individuals' self-efficacy to engage in bird conservation and possible coping measures should be made transparent and tangible by stakeholders looking to foster bird conservation.

The protection and sustainable management of habitat trees is an integral part of modern forest nature conservation concepts such as retention forestry. Bats, cavity‐nesting birds, arboreal marsupials, and many different saproxylic species depend on habitat trees and their great variety of microhabitats and old‐growth characteristics. With a focus on insights from temperate forests, we traced the development of habitat‐tree protection over 200 years. The idea was first conceptualized by foresters and natural scientists in the early 19th century. At that time, utilitarian conservation aimed to protect cavity trees that provided roosts and nesting holes for insectivorous bats and birds. By the second half of the 19th century, habitat‐tree protection was well known to foresters and was occasionally implemented. Knowledge of the protection of large old trees, a special kind of habitat tree, for sociocultural and aesthetic reasons developed similarly. But, many foresters of that time and in the following decades fundamentally rejected protection of habitat trees for economic reasons. Beginning in the 1970s, forest conservation and integrative forest management became increasingly important issues worldwide. Since then, the protection of habitat trees has been implemented on a large scale. Long‐term views on the development of conservation concepts are important to inform the implementation of conservation today. In particular, historical analyses of conservation concepts allow the testing of long‐term conservation outcomes and make it possible to study the resilience of conservation approaches to changing social or ecological conditions. We encourage all conservation ecologists to assess the practical and conceptual impact of the initial ideas that led to modern conservation concepts in terms of long‐term biodiversity conservation. Article Impact Statement: It took 200 years to implement the habitat‐tree protection ideas of far‐sighted, trend‐setting foresters, and natural scientists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White stork ( Ciconia ciconia L .) population increased dramatically in Portugal over the last decade, leading to an increase in nesting and roosting in the support towers for the electric distribution lines. As a consequence, there are frequent bird fatalities from electrocution and outages in distribution networks are recurrent. Consequently, this causes a poor power quality service and equipment damages, with resulting economic losses for industrial customers and electric distribution companies. To mitigate the risk of stork fatalities and to improve the quality of service, the Portuguese Distribution System Operator (DSO), Energias de Portugal – Distribuição (EDP-D) and Energy Service Regulatory Authority (ERSE) in collaboration with the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) implemented programs to control white storks activities on power distribution equipment. To control nesting activities several models of electrified structures, based on a micro electroshock discharge system, were developed and applied on the top of the line support towers. The installed structures proved to be successful, since no nesting activities were detected. When landing on the structure, the white stork receives a small shock, which is associated with a negative experience, discouraging further attempts to roost on the support structure. Compared to other technologies tested in the past, taking into account maintenance requirements, equipment costs and power supply requirements, the micro electroshock system proved to be the most reliable and advantageous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many sedge meadows in western Poland provide suitable habitats for Vertigo angustior Jeffreys and Vertigo moulinsiana (Dupuy) which are regarded as threatened across Europe. Such habitats are often subject to conservation measures aimed at supporting wetland birds in accordance with the European Birds Directive. Such measures, usually involving extensive mowing, may not favour the vertiginids. Both species are protected by another European act - The Habitats Directive. The range of methods used for maintaining the bird habitats is wide: the sites are mowed manually or mechanically in different ways, and the mowing covers the entire site or just selected patches. The aim of this study was to check how the different maintenance methods influenced the vertiginid populations. The abundance of V. angustior and V. moulinsiana was studied at 17 sampling sites along the Ilanka river valley (Lubuskie Province, W. Poland). The sites differed in size, moisture level, vegetation, type of land use and shadiness. The results suggest that extensive land management can be advantageous for both species only when the site is divided in patches which are mowed alternately in consecutive years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of renewable energy production is seen as an appropriate way to mitigate climate change. Renewable energies are not free of negative external effects on humans and the natural environment. We analyzed the conflict between wind power production and bird protection through the example of one of the most sensitive species, the red kite (Milvus milvus) in West Saxony, Germany. We investigated a large number of potential land use scenarios, defined by whether or not each potential site contained a wind turbine (WT). Based on meteorological and ornithological data, we evaluated the land use scenarios for their annual energy supply and impact on the red kite. We identified the efficient land use scenarios that maximized energy supply for a given ecological impact. Within the scope of our analysis, the current allocation of WTs in the study region was considered inefficient. The set of efficient scenarios allowed us to draw conclusions on the trade-offs involved. We developed an indicator that measures the severity of the conflict between wind power production and bird protection. Increasing the minimum distance of WTs to settlements beyond the legal requirements in order to minimize the impact on humans further intensifies the conflict. Our results can support planning authorities in their development of longterm regional plans by identifying areas that are most suitable for wind power production from an integrated point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the major developments in Russia before 1917 regarding the protection of wild birds and issues related to ornithology. The outbreak of the First World War, and the failure of the Draft Husting Law of 1915 greatly hindered Russian advances on both the ornithological and conservationists fronts. Russians developed their own ideas about bird protection and by the late nineteenth century, many of them understood peculiarities of avifauna, climate and geography of Russia and distinctive characteristics of relevant Russian public habits and culture.

The article discusses modelling biological control of feral cats to protect island species from extinction. Topics discussed include effects of feline viruses Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and Feline Leukemia Virus on eradicating cat population, eradication being possible with Feline Leukemia Virus for low natural immunity, and advantages of feline retroviruses over Feline Panleucopenia Virus (FPV).

The expansion of renewable energy production is seen as an appropriate way to mitigate climate change. Renewable energies are not free of negative external effects on humans and the natural environment. We analyzed the conflict between wind power production and bird protection through the example of one of the most sensitive species, the red kite (Milvus milvus) in West Saxony, Germany. We investigated a large number of potential land use scenarios, defined by whether or not each potential site contained a wind turbine (WT). Based on meteorological and ornithological data, we evaluated the land use scenarios for their annual energy supply and impact on the red kite. We identified the efficient land use scenarios that maximized energy supply for a given ecological impact. Within the scope of our analysis, the current allocation of WTs in the study region was considered inefficient. The set of efficient scenarios allowed us to draw conclusions on the trade-offs involved. We developed an indicator that measures the severity of the conflict between wind power production and bird protection. Increasing the minimum distance of WTs to settlements beyond the legal requirements in order to minimize the impact on humans further intensifies the conflict. Our results can support planning authorities in their development of long-term regional plans by identifying areas that are most suitable for wind power production from an integrated point of view.