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Good environmental management needs evidence-based conservation measures, and those measures need both faunistical and ecological information. Following this path, for the first time in Serbia, a faunistical research of spiders at Subotica Sandland was organised in 2014 as a base for ecological arguments in landscape management of the area. The spiders were collected at ten different habitats on sandy soil, in the period from 27th April till 30th October by pitfall trapping and sweep netting. A total of 16304 adult and 7246 juvenile individuals were captured, and 225 species from 27 families were determined. Thirty species represent new records for Serbia. Diversity and species compositions provided an insight into the quality of the habitats and the influence of the conservation and development measures that were already applied. The main endangerment factors are outlined. Conclusions and suggestions according to the analysis of the spider fauna, are mostly in correlation with those made earlier based on other groups of organisms. Within the scope of nature protection, wet and sandy meadows are prioritised over the woods. For future monitoring, two flagship and umbrella species are suggested: Argiope lobata (Pallas, 1772) for the sandy area and Dolomedes plantarius (Clerck, 1757) for the wetlands.

Habitat restoration is an integral feature of wildlife conservation. However, funding and opportunities for habitat restoration are limited, and therefore, it is useful for targeted restoration to provide positive outcomes for non‐target species. Here, we investigate the possibility of habitat creation and management benefitting two threatened wetland specialists: the Green and Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea) and the Large‐footed Myotis (Myotis macropus). This study involved two components: (i) assessing co‐occurrence patterns of these species in a wetland complex created for the Green and Golden Bell Frog (n = 9) using counts, and (ii) comparing foraging activity of Large‐footed Myotis in wetlands with low and high aquatic vegetation (n = 6 and 7, respectively) using echolocation metres. Since Large‐footed Myotis possesses a unique foraging behaviour of trawling for aquatic prey, we hypothesised that foraging activity of this species would be higher in wetlands with low aquatic vegetation coverage. Additionally, we provide observations of its potential prey items. We identified one created wetland where both species were found in relatively high numbers, and this wetland had a permanent hydrology, was free of the introduced fish Gambusia (Gambusia holbrooki) and had low aquatic vegetation coverage. We also found that Myotis feeding activity was significantly higher in low aquatic vegetation coverage wetlands (x = 65.72 ± 27.56 SE) compared to high (x = 0.33 ± 0.33 SE, P = 0.0000). Although this is a preliminary study, it seems likely that Green and Golden Bell Frog and Large‐footed Myotis would gain mutual benefit from wetlands that are constructed to be permanent, that are Gambusia free, low in aquatic vegetation coverage, and are located in close to suitable roosting habitat for Large‐footed Myotis. We encourage adaptive aquatic vegetation removal for Green and Golden Bell frog as this may have benefits for Large‐footed Myotis. The evidence suggests that the former may be a suitable umbrella species for the latter.

Reliable information for the conservation of many insects is lacking due to a poor knowledge of their ecology. Here, we review the biological knowledge about the European stag beetle (Lucanus cervus), in which recent advances are improving the basis for successful conservation. A review of the biological and ecological literature about this species identified an exponential increase in both total and peer‐reviewed articles after Natura 2000 regulations. Recent progress in the last two decades has been made in solving taxonomic problems, as well as in habitat description through radiotelemetry and habitat models. Dependence on large old‐growth forest has given place to a more complex picture of habitat use along the distribution range of this species. Monitoring protocols have been developed that will allow to assess conservation status and actual decline. Stag beetle conservation would benefit from a better understanding of larval demography, quantification of microhabitat requirements, landscape genetics and quantification of historical and current threats. Lessons learned include the need to solve taxonomic problems and to target methodological bottlenecks. The stag beetle is one of the few European saproxylic organisms that can engage the broad public through outreach activities and therefore its role as an umbrella species should be promoted.

Rapid anthropogenic climate change and progressing habitat degradation are considered top threats to biodiversity. The employment of demanding umbrella species as indicators for ecosystem health is a popular and cost-effective strategy that facilitates continuous monitoring and evaluation within a long-term conservation management scheme. The Western Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) and the Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) are both considered viable candidates due to their extensive habitat requirements, the possibility for conservative, non-invasive sampling, and their broad popular appeal. Regional population surveys based on genetic data from Short Sequence Repeat (SSR) analysis are being conducted throughout the Palearctic. However, to ensure reliable comparability among laboratories, standardization is required. Here, we report a catalogue of fifty fully characterized reference alleles from twelve SSR loci and the construction of a customizable allelic ladder for genotyping and individualization in Western Capercaillie and Black Grouse. This methodological improvement will help to cost-efficiently generate and collate supraregional data from different grouse surveys and thereby contribute to conservation management. Reference alleles and ladders can be obtained on demand.

Landscape heterogeneity and fragmentation are key challenges for biodiversity conservation. As Earth’s landscape is increasingly dominated by anthropogenic land use, it is clear that broad-scale systems of nature reserves connected by corridors are needed to enable the dispersal of flora and fauna. The European Union currently supports a continent-wide network of protected areas, the Natura 2000 program, but this program lacks the necessary connectivity component. To examine whether a comprehensive network could be built in order to protect amphibians and reptiles, two taxonomic groups sensitive to environmental changes due to their physiological constrains and low dispersal capacity, we used species’ distribution maps, the sites of community interest (SCIs) in Romania, and landscape resistance rasters. Except Vipera ursinii rakosiensis, all amphibians and reptiles had corridors mapped that, when assembled, provided linkages for up to 27 species. Natura 2000 species were not good candidates for umbrella species as these linkages covered only 17% of the corridors for all species. Important Areas for Connectivity were identified in the Carpathian Mountains and along the Danube River, further confirming these regions as hot spots for biodiversity in Europe, where successful linkages are most likely. In the end, while such corridors may not be created just for amphibians and reptiles, they can easily be incorporated into more complex linkages with corridors for more charismatic species, therefore enhancing the corridors’ value in terms of quality and structure.

Grassland birds have exhibited dramatic and widespread declines since the mid‐20th century. Greater prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) are considered an umbrella species for grassland conservation and are frequent targets of management, but their responses to land use and management can be quite variable. We used data collected during 2007–2009 and 2014–2015 to investigate effects of land use and grassland management practices on habitat selection and survival rates of greater prairie chickens in central Wisconsin, USA. We examined habitat, nest‐site, and brood‐rearing site selection by hens and modeled effects of land cover and management on survival rates of hens, nests, and broods. Prairie chickens consistently selected grassland over other cover types, but selection or avoidance of management practices varied among life‐history stages. Hen, nest, and brood survival rates were influenced by different land cover types and management practices. At the landscape scale, hens selected areas where brush and trees had been removed during the previous year, which increased hen survival. Hens selected nest sites in hay fields and brood‐rearing sites in burned areas, but prescribed fire had a negative influence on hen survival. Brood survival rates were positively associated with grazing and were highest when home ranges contained ≈15%–20% shrub/tree cover. The effects of landscape composition on nest survival were ambiguous. Collectively, our results highlight the importance of evaluating responses to management efforts across a range of life‐history stages and suggest that a variety of management practices are likely necessary to provide structurally heterogeneous, high‐quality habitat for greater prairie chickens. Brush and tree removal, grazing, hay cultivation, and prescribed fire may be especially beneficial for prairie chickens in central Wisconsin, but trade‐offs among life‐history stages and the timing of management practices must be considered carefully., Greater prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) are considered an umbrella species for grassland conservation and are frequent targets of management, but their responses to land use and management can be quite variable. We examined habitat, nest‐site, and brood‐rearing site selection by hens and modeled effects of land cover and management on hen, nest, and brood survival. Collectively, our results highlight the importance of evaluating responses to management efforts across a range of life‐history stages and suggest that a variety of management practices are likely necessary to provide structurally heterogeneous, high‐quality habitat for greater prairie chickens.

Systems thinking and attention to the relationships between a system’s variables on all spatial and temporal scales is an effective strategy in biological conservation and wildlife management. This study presents a case in a sensitive ecosystem to show how the future state of the jungle cat as an umbrella species depends on local, national, and international components. To this aim, all variables affecting the state of jungle cat were identified by an expert panel. Cross-impact analysis was applied to the identified variables in two stages using MICMAC, followed by Kane’s simulation (KSIM). The MICMAC method was used to detect the most important variables (i.e., variables with more influence and less dependency), and forecasting the future state of jungle cat was implemented by KSIM on variables screened by MICMAC. MICMAC showed that among the 22 identified variables, climate change, increased construction of dams in Afghanistan, water scarcity, and decline of agricultural lands under cultivation were the most important variables for management of jungle cat. KSIM showed declining trends for all variables in the future. Therefore, the predicted decreasing trend will continue as long as management remains unchanged on the local, national, and international scales.

Although bonefish, Albula vulpes, supports a culturally and socio-economically important recreational fishery in the Caribbean Sea, little is known about their population characteristics. Understanding their population parameters are important for the creation of a sustainable fishery strategy in the Caribbean region. We used multistate modeling to estimate apparent survival, recapture probability, and movement of bonefish in the regions of Corozal-Chetumal Bay (CB) and the adjacent Caribbean coast (CC) of Belize and Mexico. We marked 9657 bonefish and recaptured 613 (6.5% recapture rate). A total of 64 multistate models were run in program MARK. The model with the lowest Akaike Information Criterion was the most parsimonious model that supported our data: constant apparent survival in CC but variable in CB; time-dependent recapture probability in CC and CB; and time-dependent movement between regions. The latter reflects a seasonal migration from the bay to spawn in the Caribbean during the north-winds season. The seasonal differences in apparent survival (CC = 63.6% and CB = 80.6%) and recapture probability (CC = 1.3% and CB =11.1%) are associated to spawning mortality, a post-spawning relocation, ontogenetic shift, predation, angling activities, site fidelity or a combination of these. These findings reinforces the association of environmental variables influenced by weather patterns with movement patterns, the entire region to be considered a single geographic catchment area necessary to sustain a local bonefish population and the need for a paradigm shift from a traditional to a new system of fisheries conservation and management using bonefish as an umbrella species.

One of the top carnivores in the Andean mountains is the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus, Ursidae), the only bear in South America. This is a flagship and key umbrella species in Ecuador because it...

Umbrella, flagship and keystone species are among the most widely employed surrogate species concepts. We explored whether these concepts are useful for understanding the consequences of landscape change. We assessed the literature on surrogate species in relation to landscape change and identified key foci and notable gaps within the existing evidence base. We outlined strengths and limitations of surrogate species as proxies for landscape change. We found that few studies evaluated whether taxa claimed to be surrogate species were in fact robust proxies. This is particularly so for flagship species but is also common in work on umbrella species. We also found marked differences in how the terms and concepts of umbrella, flagship and keystone species were used, both between studies and between disciplines (e.g. forestry versus community ecology). Research into surrogates is often conducted independently of research on landscape change. This leaves a major gap in knowledge about how surrogates can inform decision-making in relation to ongoing threatening processes, including landscape change. Based on results of our literature search and insights from large-scale, long-term empirical studies in south-eastern Australia, we identified a diverse mix of examples where the application of surrogate approaches has been successful, and where it has not. However, it is currently not possible to determine a priori where a given surrogate approach will work. Resolution of this problem requires considerable further work. Surrogates should be used in a critical way to help avoid mistakes in resource and biodiversity management.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is revolutionising biodiversity monitoring, but has unrealised potential for ecological hypothesis generation and testing. Here, we validate this potential in a large-scale analysis of vertebrate community data generated by eDNA metabarcoding of 532 UK ponds. We test biotic associations between the threatened great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) and other vertebrates as well as abiotic factors influencing T. cristatus detection at the pondscape. Furthermore, we test the status of T. cristatus as an umbrella species for pond conservation by assessing whether vertebrate species richness is greater in ponds with T. cristatus and higher T. cristatus Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) scores. T. cristatus detection was positively correlated with amphibian and waterfowl species richness. Specifically, T. cristatus was positively associated with smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris), common coot (Fulica atra), and common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), but negatively associated with common toad (Bufo bufo). T. cristatus detection did not significantly decrease as fish species richness increased, but negative associations with common carp (Cyprinus carpio), three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) were identified. T. cristatus detection was negatively correlated with mammal species richness, and T. cristatus was negatively associated with grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). T. cristatus detection was negatively correlated with larger pond area, presence of inflow, and higher percentage of shading, but positively correlated with HSI score, supporting its application to T. cristatus survey. Vertebrate species richness was significantly higher in T. cristatus ponds and broadly increased as T. cristatus HSI scores increased. We reaffirm reported associations (e.g. T. cristatus preference for smaller ponds) but also provide novel insights, including a negative effect of pond inflow on T. cristatus. Our findings demonstrate the prospects of eDNA metabarcoding for ecological hypothesis generation and testing at landscape scale, and dramatic enhancement of freshwater conservation, management, monitoring and research.

Nestedness patterns including both artificial and natural habitat may represent evidence of such habitats’ importance in community assembly and conservation of animals inhabiting those sites. Odonata often colonize drinking troughs (artificial water reservoirs) and thus they are good study models as umbrella species. We investigated if a network of artificial (troughs) and natural (pools) aquatic habitats could create a nested subset pattern for Odonata assemblages. We surveyed all the troughs present in the Castelporziano Estate (Italy, Lazio). Odonata larvae have been collected and identified. Data of a previous paper on 18 natural pools and ponds, and our samplings of 16 troughs were organized into a presence-absence matrix. The Odonata assemblage within natural and artificial habitats is significantly nested with both NODF and T metrics. Odonata species found in the troughs represented 40% of the total species pool. Some troughs interspersed with the natural pools in the nested order: eight troughs were richer in species than some natural pools, despite the big difference in surface area. Pristine water bodies and their area may not represent major constraints for species to oviposit and for larvae to grow. Drinking troughs can be highly relevant for representing refuges in the absence or decline of natural ponds and pools: lacking in top-predators (fishes), they are small “island” habitats that support the generations of Odonata (or other aquatic macroinvertebrates) during dry periods of natural water bodies. The use and focused management of such habitats can be an effective practice for freshwater ecosystems management and Odonata conservation.

Bird's nest ferns (Asplenium spp.) support large numbers of invertebrates, including centipedes. As top invertebrate predators, centipedes drive ecosystem function, for example, by regulating decomposer populations, but we know little of their ecology in forest canopies. We provide the first detailed observations of the diversity and structure of the centipede communities of bird's nest ferns, revealing the importance of these epiphytes as nurseries for centipedes. We collected 305 centipedes equating to ˜11,300 mg of centipede biomass from 44 bird's nest ferns (22 of which were from the high canopy and 22 from the low canopy) in primary tropical rainforest in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Most abundant were the Scolopendromorpha (n = 227 individuals), followed by the Geophilomorpha (n = 59), Lithobiomorpha (n = 14), and Scutigeromorpha (n = 5). Although we observed very little overlap in species between the forest strata, scolopendromorph centipedes dominated throughout the canopy. Null model analysis revealed no significant competitive interactions; on the contrary, we observed centipedes sharing nest sites within the ferns on three of the ten occasions that we found nests. All nests belonged to centipedes of the family Scolopendridae, which are typically aggressive, and usually show negative spatial association. This study reveals a diverse community of canopy centipedes, providing further evidence of the importance of bird's nest ferns to a wide range of animals, many of which use the ferns at critical life stages. Future conservation strategies should regard these ubiquitous epiphytes as umbrella species and protect them accordingly in landscape management decisions.

A major concern in conservation biology today is the loss of genetic diversity in structured populations, which is often a consequence of habitat contraction and restricted gene flow over time. These dynamic biological processes require monitoring with temporal environmental and landscape genetic data. We compared the spatial genetic variation of a relict, umbrella species, the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), in two different demographic periods, as represented by older museum specimens (1960–1990) and recent non-invasive samples (2011–2015) collected from the Carpathian Mountains, where habitat connectivity has dramatically decreased in the past decade. Using a combination of species distribution modelling and spatial genetic inference, we analysed how climatic and environmental constraints shaped population structures of the species. Environmental and climate niche models confirmed that relict Carpathian capercaillie populations are temperature sensitive, and they occur in a narrow range of mountain forest habitats at the highest altitudes. We found that the environmental and climatic constraints led to genetically isolated populations, but we also detected clusters that did not match relatively interrupted areas of niche habitats. We observed a similar disruption of gene flow in both periods; however, a stronger signal of genetic structuring in recent samples indicated that the processes negatively affecting connectivity are ongoing. The effective population size of the Carpathian population has declined in recent years, but it has been low for at least the last five decades in the Western Carpathians. This study demonstrates the importance of temporal ecological and genetic data as an effective warning tool for the conservation and management of wildlife species.

Conservation surrogates, such as umbrella and flagship species, could help focus South Africa’s limited resources for research and management and enhance the conservation gains from marine protecte...

Earth is currently facing a species extinction crisis as humans increasingly destroy, degrade, and fragment natural landscapes. While extinction is a global issue, Australia has one of the highest rates among all countries. This decline of the nation’s biota is driven by many complex and interacting threatening processes, including invasive species, disease, adverse fire regimes, climate change, overexploitation, changed water regimes, pollution, degradation, fragmentation, and habitat loss. Despite decades of conservation research, high economic wealth, relatively good governance, and world-class scientific expertise, many Australian species continue to deteriorate. The central aim of this thesis is to address key questions relevant to prioritizing and planning for Australian threatened species’ persistence and long-term recovery.It is widely known that human pressures, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, are major drivers of species extirpation, yet there has been no quantification of species-specific extirpation since European colonization in Australia. Until we truly understand the extent of species extirpation, our efforts to recover them will be constrained. In Chapter 2, I quantify species-specific extirpation, habitat loss, and fragmentation since 1750 and illuminate the scale in which this has occurred over 250 years. Using remotely sensed data, historical field guides, ecological data, and expert elicitation, I found that since 1750, ~100 million hectares of habitat for threatened taxa have been converted and at least one taxa (but many more in large parts of the nation) have disappeared from over 530 million hectares (69%) of Australia. This extirpation is a result of many complex threatening processes, such as habitat loss, fragmentation, invasive predators, and/or altered fire regimes.Considering the significant historical extirpation of species, the inauguration of Australia’s flagship environmental legislation, the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC), intended to prevent further losses and safeguard threatened species. In Chapter 3, I analyze the effectiveness of this key environmental policy, and find that over 7.7 million ha of potential terrestrial threatened species’ habitat were cleared in the period between 2000 – 2017. Of this clearing, over 93% was not referred to by the Federal Government for assessment, meaning the loss was not scrutinized under the EPBC Act. My research highlights that Australia's flagship environmental legislation is highly ineffective at limiting the ongoing loss of potential habitat.In addition to legislative policy, the Federal Government has introduced prioritization plans to help curb the species extinction crisis. In 2015, the Federal Government prioritized 73 umbrella species, as part of a wider effort to protect and recover all plants and animals at risk of extinction. In Chapter 4, I analyze the efficiency of this plan by developing a problem-based method for prioritizing conservation actions for umbrella species. This method maximizes the total number of flora and fauna benefiting from management. My results show that the Federal Government priority list benefits only 6% of Australia’s listed threatened terrestrial species. This could be increased to benefit nearly half (46%) of all threatened terrestrial species for the same budget, if more suitable umbrella species were chosen.Australia’s species now face new and exacerbated threats, particularly those associated with climate change including cyclones, flooding, and altered fire regimes. Due to anthropogenic climate change, fires are predicted to become larger, more frequent, more intense, and occur outside of the traditional fire season. In Chapter 5, I explore the impact of the 2019–2020 megafires on Australian fauna habitat, finding that these fires burned ~97,000 km2 of vegetation across southern and eastern Australia, which is considered habitat for 832 species of native vertebrate fauna. Seventy taxa had a substantial proportion (>30%) of habitat impacted; 21 of these were already listed as threatened with extinction. If extinction risk assessments find that the 49 currently unlisted species meet EPBC Act criteria, the number of threatened Australian terrestrial and freshwater vertebrate fauna would increase by 14%.Given the uniqueness of the 2019–2020 bushfire disaster, governments, conservation scientists and managers had no precedent for designing and implementing an efficient and effective conservation response. Chapter 6 fills this knowledge gap by providing a decision support framework that prioritizes conservation actions needed immediately after a megafire. The framework can be split into two approaches that are targeted to different stakeholders. The first approach focuses on identifying areas that can cost-effectively recover the most species in any one location, whilst the second approach selects complementary locations to extend actions across all impacted species’ habitats. Using the 2019–2020 Australian megafires as a case study, I show that 290 threatened species are likely to have been severely impacted and require immediate conservation action. Our framework identified 179 subregions – found mostly in south-east Australia –as key locations to extend actions across all species’ habitats. This framework can be utilized to prioritize conservation actions that will best mitigate impacts in other locations affected by megafire events.This thesis combines remote sensing technology with economic instruments and systematic conservation planning to quantify biodiversity threats, status, and trends; explore the effectiveness of environmental legislation in mitigating threats; develop novel, problem-based methods for cost-effectively prioritizing conservation actions; evaluate bushfire impact, and develop emergency-response frameworks for bushfire recovery. In doing so, the thesis answers key questions relevant to prioritizing and planning for Australian threatened species’ persistence and long-term recovery.

Since passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, over 1300 endangered and threatened species have been protected in the USA and its territories. Most species continue to face a significant risk of extinction, but the status of many species is improving. Here we present analyses of federal agency reports to the United States Congress (1988–2002) that describe differences in species status and show which variables are correlated with improving or declining status. We found that 52% of species showed repeated improvements or were not declining over this time. Species status improves over time, with only 35% still declining 13 years or more after protection. Taxonomy, funding by US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and agency assessment of risk of extinction and potential to recover were significantly correlated with status.

Most species distribution models (SDMs) predict the probability of presence (POP) of a species at any location based on an analysis of known occurrences and environmental variables; however, such SDMs cannot predict how much the POP of a species that requires young forest would change if a new patch of young forest is created at a certain location. We developed a new SDM tool to identify and prioritize sites where forest management efforts to create young forest vegetation would likely have the most positive effect for Scolopax minor (American Woodcock), an important umbrella species for other birds that require similar habitat. The primary output of the tool was a 50-m raster of the predicted POP in any upland forest location in the state after young forest is created. We conducted a preliminary assessment of the predictions of the tool, and concluded that our new tool can allow land managers to identify optimal locations on their properties to create young forest for woodcock, and help conservation agencies identify private landowners with suitable properties for improving woodcock habitat.

Conservation efforts often focus on umbrella species whose distributions overlap with many other flora and fauna. However, because biodiversity is affected by different threats that are spatially variable, focusing only on the geographic range overlap of species may not be sufficient in allocating the necessary actions needed to efficiently abate threats. We developed a problem‐based method for prioritizing conservation actions for umbrella species that maximizes the total number of flora and fauna benefiting from management while considering threats, actions, and costs. We tested our new method by assessing the performance of the Australian federal government's umbrella prioritization list, which identifies 73 umbrella species as priorities for conservation attention. Our results show that the federal government priority list benefits only 6% of all Australia's threatened terrestrial species. This could be increased to benefit nearly half (or 46%) of all threatened terrestrial species for the same budget of AU$550 million/year if more suitable umbrella species were chosen. This results in a 7‐fold increase in management efficiency. We believe nations around the world can markedly improve the selection of prioritized umbrella species for conservation action with this transparent, quantitative, and objective prioritization approach., Article impact statement: Considering spatially overlapping species, threats, actions, and costs in conservation prioritization yields 7‐fold increase in efficiency.

The ecology of invertebrate steppe species requiring active conservation management has not been explored enough. Stenobothrus eurasius is a characteristic steppe species occurring very frequently in the Siberian and Central Asian grasslands, although on the western edge of its area it is present in small, isolated, endangered relict populations. We examined populations and habitats of St. eurasius in the Pannonian vegetation region to (1) seek predictor variables of its density and (2) explore potentially successful conservation management practices which could be used generally on declining steppe relict species. Our results showed that robust populations of St. eurasius are found in short, edaphic, relict steppe grasslands in which the proportion of coarse sand in the soil is high and which are free of significant disturbance by game (specifically by wild boar). According to our study, the most important approach for the enhancement of declining marginal populations of St. eurasius, existing as an umbrella species of steppe relicts, is to reduce individual numbers of game (mainly wild boar and mouflon) which have increased tenfold regionally in the last few decades (or at least to exclude them from the most vulnerable patches).

This article reports a large‐scale die‐off of approximately one‐third of the unionid mussels inhabiting a shallow, naturally eutrophic, floodplain lake (Zalew Pinczowski), which took place within the space of just a few days. Mortality was the highest in Pseudanodonta complanata (81%), followed by Unio pictorum (58%), Anodonta cygnea (26%), Unio tumidus (15%), and Anodonta anatina (5%). It was significantly related to mussel size (age) only in A. cygnea, with the mortality rate higher in smaller (young) mussels. Pseudanodonta complanata was already the rarest species in the lake, and the number of survivors decreased to such an extent as to trigger a possible Allee effect. The most likely cause of the die‐off was a motor‐boating incident that had directly preceded the die‐off. Analysis of the water samples collected just after the die‐off revealed an extremely high concentration of phosphate (up to 0.5 mg dm⁻³) and nitrite (up to 0.06 mg dm⁻³). We suggest that the boat movements must have disturbed the lake sediments, thereby disrupting the mussels' physiology and causing mass mortality. The high sensitivity of P. complanata to environmental stress suggests that it may be an effective umbrella species for the protection of co‐occurring mussel species in eutrophic lakes.

Flagship species have been used widely as umbrella species (i.e., species with large home range whose protection often provides protection for sympatric species) in the management of China's nature reserves. This conflation of flagship and umbrella species is best represented by the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and other large, endangered mammals designated as conservation targets in site selection and planning of reserves. Few empirical studies have tested the effectiveness of flagship species as surrogates for a broader range of sympatric species. Using extensive camera-trap data, we examined the effectiveness of management zones designated to protect flagship (target) species in conserving sympatric species in 4 wildlife reserves (Gutianshan, Changqing, Laohegou, and Wolong). We tested whether the progression from peripheral to core zones was associated with an increasing habitat association for both target and sympatric species. The distribution patterns of the study species across the zones in each reserve indicated a disparity between management zones and the species' habitat requirements. Management zone was included in the final model for all target species, and most of them had higher occurrence in core zones relative to less-protected zones, but zone was not a predictor for most of the sympatric species. When management zone was associated with the occurrence of sympatric species, threatened species generally had higher detections in core zones, whereas common species had higher detections outside of the core zone. Our results suggested that reserve planning based on flagship species does not adequately protect sympatric species due to their specialized habitat requirements. We recommend re-examining the effectiveness of management zoning and urge a multispecies and reserve-wide monitoring plan to improve protection of China's wildlife.Efectividad del Manejo de Zonación Diseñada para Especies Bandera en la Protección de Especies Simpátricas Resumen Las especies bandera se han utilizado ampliamente como especies paraguas (es decir, especies con una extensa distribución cuya protección frecuentemente proporciona protección para especies simpátricas) en el manejo de las reservas naturales de China. Esta combinación de especie bandera y especie paraguas tiene su mejor representación en el panda gigante (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) y otros grandes mamíferos en peligro de extinción designados como objetivos de conservación en la selección de sitio y la planeación de reservas. Pocos estudios empíricos han probado la efectividad de las especies bandera como sustitutas de una especie simpátrica con una distribución más amplia. Con datos numerosos de cámaras trampa, examinamos la efectividad de las zonas de manejo designadas para proteger a las especies bandera (objetivo) en la conservación de especies simpátricas dentro de cuatro reservas de fauna (Gutianshan, Changqing, Laohegou y Wolong). Probamos si la progresión de las zonas periféricas hacia las zonas núcleo estaba relacionada con asociaciones crecientes de hábitat tanto para las especies objetivo como para las simpátricas. Los patrones de distribución del estudio de especies a lo largo de las zonas en cada reserva indicaron una disparidad entre las zonas de manejo y los requerimientos de hábitat de las especies. La zona de manejo se incluyó dentro del modelo final para todas las especies objetivo y la mayoría de ellas tuvo una presencia más alta en las zonas núcleo en relación con las zonas de menor protección. Cuando la zona de manejo se asoció a la presencia de especies simpátricas, las especies amenazadas generalmente tuvieron un mayor número de detecciones en la zona núcleo, mientras que las especies comunes tuvieron un número más elevado de detecciones fuera de la zona núcleo. Nuestros resultados sugieren que la planeación de reservas basada en las especies bandera no protege adecuadamente a las especies simpátricas debido a sus requerimientos especializados de hábitat. Recomendamos una reexaminación de la efectividad del manejo de zonación y urgimos que se genere un plan de monitoreo multiespecífico en toda la reserva para mejorar la protección de la fauna en China.旗舰物种被广泛地作为伞护物种 (指活动范围广、对其投入的保护措施能够同时有益于其它同域分布物种的物种) 用于中国自然保护区的管理。旗舰种和伞护种概念的混淆最为突出地体现在, 选择以大熊猫为代表的大型濒危兽类作为主要保护对象来确定保护区的选址和规划。很少有实证性的研究来检验伞护种是否能有效代表同域分布物种的保护需求。我们基于大数据量的红外相机调查, 评估了中国4个野生动物保护区 (古田山、长青、老河沟和卧龙) 针对旗舰物种 (即主要保护对象) 划定的管理分区对同域分布物种保护的有效性。我们分析了从保护区实验区向缓冲区、核心区过渡的过程中, 主要保护对象和其它同域分布物种是否均表现出更强的选择性。多个物种在保护区各个分区内的分布格局显示, 管理分区和物种的栖息地需求并不一致。分区是影响主要保护对象分布的因素之一。相比实验区和缓冲区, 多数保护对象更多地出现在核心区。然而, 分区对绝大多数同域分布物种而言, 并不是一个影响其分布的显著因素。对于部分分布受分区影响的同域分布物种而言, 受威胁物种通常偏好核心区内的生境, 而常见种则偏好实验区内的生境。我们的研究结果表明, 旗舰物种通常有特化的栖息地需求, 将它们作为同域分布物种的代表以指导保护区规划, 并不能有效保护其它同域分布物种。我们建议保护区应重新评估管理分区的有效性, 并采用基于多物种的、覆盖保护区全境的监测方案, 以促进对中国野生动物的有效保护。.

A comprehensive understanding of how rapidly changing environments affect species gene flow is critical for mitigating future biodiversity losses. While recent methodological developments in landscape ecology and genetics have greatly advanced our understanding of biodiversity conservation, they are rarely combined and applied in studies. We merged multifaceted landscape habitat modelling with genetics to detect and design biological corridors, and we evaluated the importance of habitat patches to test corridor efficacy for gene flow in a fragmented landscape. We examined an isolated population of an endangered umbrella species, the capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), in the Western Carpathians; they have experienced habitat deterioration and accompanying population declines in recent decades. To detect spatial patterns of genetic distances, we combined and optimized resistance surfaces using species distribution modelling, structural and functional connectivity analyses, multivariate regression approaches, and Moran’s eigenvector maps at hierarchical scales. Larger habitat patches had better gene flow among them, and we confirmed a broken metapopulation network characterised by a pattern of isolation by the environment. Distance to human settlements explained landscape genetic patterns better than other environmental and landscape features, MaxEnt resistance, Conefor resistance surfaces, and the pairwise Euclidean distances among individuals. The closer individuals were to settlements, the more pronounced were the effects of logging and other negative factors on their connectivity. Merging multifaceted landscape habitat modelling with genetics can effectively test corridor efficacy for gene flow, and it represents a powerful tool for conservation of endangered species.

Aim: Bats are important components of mammalian biodiversity, strong bioindicators and potential umbrella species, but their fine scale distributions often remain less known than other taxa (e.g. plants, birds). Yet as highly mobile species with multiple needs in the landscape, bats also impose serious modelling challenges, such as advanced use of neighbourhood analyses. The aims of this study were to test the use of a designed sampling of bats for biodiversity and conservation assessments, and to find appropriate modelling solutions for providing nature practitioners with reliable potential bat distribution maps in a mountain area of high conservation interest. Location: The western Swiss Alps of Vaud Methods: We conducted a one-year field survey combining passive acoustic recordings supplemented by mist net catching to collect data on bats. These data were then used to create univariate models with focal land use/cover variables using different focal window sizes to detect the optimal species specific scale of influence for each variable. The large number of selected variables was then used to create ensembles of small models at a 100 m x 100 m resolution, and the resulting habitat suitability maps were transformed into smoothed species distribution maps for practitioners. Results: We were able to collect sufficient data to model 14 different bat species representing 66% of the Swiss bat diversity, including 4 red list species. In general, the most important variables were Euclidean distance to road or water, temperature and slope, but there was large variation among species both for the variable importance and the optimal focal window size. Main Conclusion: Our study greatly increased the knowledge of bats in this region and showed that many of the red list species are nowadays disappearing from the intensively used lowland plains and restricted to the remaining forests along the slopes. Additionally, we highlighted the importance of selecting the variable scale on a species specific basis accounting for their mobility and range sizes.

Impacts of climate change are already evident in ecosystems worldwide. High-latitude and altitude regions are at greatest risk because the effects of climate change are greater in these regions, and species from these areas have limited ability to track their climate envelopes. The Caucasian snowcock (Tetraogallus caucasicus) and the Caucasian grouse (Lyrurus mlokosiewiczi) are both high-altitude specialists that are endemic to a restricted range in the Caucasus mountains of Europe. Little research has been performed to determine the status of the populations or the potential impacts of climate change. We investigated how climate and land use change may impact both species in future and determined whether their life history traits may increase their vulnerability using a combined exposure and trait-based index. We compared several climate models, and in all instances, both species showed drastic range contractions although the extent of the contraction varied with each model. Traits like habitat specialism, ground nesting and incubation period meant that both species may be considered "most vulnerable" in the exposure and trait-based index. Given that both species already occur near the maximum elevations of the Caucasus, and that they lack any dispersal capabilities due to the isolation from alternative mountainous areas, research efforts need to be prioritized to improve our knowledge about their population status, to monitor future trends and to begin developing species action plans that conserve these endemic and iconic species of Europe. Both species are flagship and umbrella species and may serve as indicator species, their protection may therefore benefit a whole range of other species inhabiting this vulnerable Alpine ecosystem. Especially the Caucasian grouse has a high aesthetic value and is favoured by hunters in the region. The potential demise of this species may therefore also be negative for local communities.