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Reliable maps of species distributions are fundamental for biodiversity research and conservation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) range maps are widely recognized as authoritative representations of species' geographic limits, yet they might not always align with actual occurrence data. In recent area of habitat (AOH) maps, areas that are not habitat have been removed from IUCN ranges to reduce commission errors, but their concordance with actual species occurrence also remains untested. We tested concordance between occurrences recorded in camera trap surveys and predicted occurrences from the IUCN and AOH maps for 510 medium‐ to large‐bodied mammalian species in 80 camera trap sampling areas. Across all areas, cameras detected only 39% of species expected to occur based on IUCN ranges and AOH maps; 85% of the IUCN only mismatches occurred within 200 km of range edges. Only 4% of species occurrences were detected by cameras outside IUCN ranges. The probability of mismatches between cameras and the IUCN range was significantly higher for smaller‐bodied mammals and habitat specialists in the Neotropics and Indomalaya and in areas with shorter canopy forests. Our findings suggest that range and AOH maps rarely underrepresent areas where species occur, but they may more often overrepresent ranges by including areas where a species may be absent, particularly at range edges. We suggest that combining range maps with data from ground‐based biodiversity sensors, such as camera traps, provides a richer knowledge base for conservation mapping and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of the Chinese Society of Rare Earths is the property of Editorial Department of Journal of the Chinese Society of Rare Earths 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.)

Local studies show upslope shifts in the distribution of tropical birds in response to warming temperatures. Unanswered is whether these upward shifts occur regionally across many species. We considered a nearly 2000‐km length of the Northern Andes, where deforestation, temperature, and extreme weather events have increased during the past decades. Range‐restricted bird species are particularly vulnerable to such events and occur in exceptionally high numbers in this region. Using abundant crowd‐sourced data from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology database, eBird, and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, we documented distributions of nearly 200 such species. We examined whether species shifted their elevational ranges over time by comparing observed versus expected occurrences below a low elevational threshold and above a high elevational threshold for 2 periods: before and after 2005. We predicted fewer observations at lower elevations (those below the threshold) and more at upper elevations (those above the threshold) after 2005. We also tested for deforestation effects at lower elevations within each species' distribution ranges. We compared relative forest loss with the differences between observed and expected occurrences across the elevational range. Species' retreats from lower elevations were ubiquitous and involved a 23–40% decline in prevalence at the lowest elevations. Increases at higher elevations were not consistent. The retreats occurred across a broad spectrum of species, from predominantly lowland to predominantly highland. Because deforestation showed no relationship with species retreats, we contend that a warming climate is the most parsimonious explanation for such shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A.M.) Bunge is a C4 plant, perennial xero-halophytic shrubs, has unique physiological and morphological traits and strong resistance to high temperature, drought, salinity and other stresses, which adapted to the desert habitat in Central Asia. It is a great significance to predict the geographical distribution of this species for the ecological environment protection in the desert areas of China. In this study, based on the distribution data of H.ammodendron and 33 environmental variables using four popular machine learning algorithms (Backpropagation neuronal network (BP_ANN), Boosted regression trees(BRT), Random forest (RF) and MaxEnt) we built an ensemble model (EM) to simulate the present and future potential suitable habitats of H.ammodendron, We found that: (1) The four model algorithms results showed high consistency for the suitable habitat distribution, but the details were different. (2) The suitable habitat area of H.ammodendron in China was 0.91 × 106 km2 that mainly located in the Junggar basin and the edge of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang; the Hexi Corridor in Gansu; Badain Jaran Desert, Ulan Buh desert, Tengger desert and west of Hobq Desert in Inner Mongolia, and the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai province. (3) Effects of future climate change on the suitable habitat distribution of this species depended on the amplitude of temperature rise. However, the suitable habitat of this species changed little in most warming scenarios. (4) The high suitable habitat area was 0.19 × 106 km2, which could be used as the important area for the protection and artificial cultivation for H.ammodendron. (5)The EM strategy could reduce the uncertainty caused by single model algorithm and improve model accuracy. In arid regions where environmental conditions are more restrictive, adding soil factors can effectively improve the scientific and rational of species distribution simulation. Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A.M.) Bunge is a C4 plant, perennial xero-halophytic shrubs, has unique physiological and morphological traits and strong resistance to high temperature, drought, salinity and other stresses, which adapted to the desert habitat in Central Asia. It is a great significance to predict the geographical distribution of this species for the ecological environment protection in the desert areas of China. In this study, based on the distribution data of H.ammodendron and 33 environmental variables using four popular machine learning algorithms (Backpropagation neuronal network (BP_ANN), Boosted regression trees(BRT), Random forest (RF) and MaxEnt) we built an ensemble model (EM) to simulate the present and future potential suitable habitats of H.ammodendron, We found that: (1) The four model algorithms results showed high consistency for the suitable habitat distribution, but the details were different. (2) The suitable habitat area of H.ammodendron in China was 0.91 × 106 km2 that mainly located in the Junggar basin and the edge of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang; the Hexi Corridor in Gansu; Badain Jaran Desert, Ulan Buh desert, Tengger desert and west of Hobq Desert in Inner Mongolia, and the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai province. (3) Effects of future climate change on the suitable habitat distribution of this species depended on the amplitude of temperature rise. However, the suitable habitat of this species changed little in most warming scenarios. (4) The high suitable habitat area was 0.19 × 106 km2, which could be used as the important area for the protection and artificial cultivation for H.ammodendron. (5)The EM strategy could reduce the uncertainty caused by single model algorithm and improve model accuracy. In arid regions where environmental conditions are more restrictive, adding soil factors can effectively improve the scientific and rational of species distribution simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nocuous influence of methyl hydrazine (MH) to aqua has stepwise engendered an alarming environmental plight for decades with the unrem让ting growth of aerospace industry ・ To enhance degradation capacity of MH, electroenhanced persulfate technique was employed・ Factors encompassed Na2S2O8/MH mole ratio, current intensity, initial pH, background ions species, and initial MH dosage that affected the decomposition capacity of MH were investigated・ It was found that over 96. 4% MH were eliminated in the optimum circumstance within 10 min when the Na-SgOg/MH mole ratio 二 2・ 0, cinrent intensity 0・ 05 A, and initial pH 5 under NaCl background・ Radical-trapping experiment authenticated that • OH and • SO4 were the predominant radicals in this electro・Fenton/Na2S2O8 system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transboundary conservation is playing an increasingly important role in maintaining ecosystem integrity and halting biodiversity loss caused by anthropogenic activities. However, lack of information on species distributions in transboundary regions and understanding of the threats in these areas impairs conservation. We developed a spatial conservation plan for the transboundary areas between Yunnan province, southwestern China, and neighboring Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam in the Indo‐Burma biodiversity hotspot. To identify priority areas for conservation and restoration, we determined species distribution patterns and recent land‐use changes and examined the spatiotemporal dynamics of the connected natural forest, which supports most species. We assessed connectivity with equivalent connected area (ECA), which is the amount of reachable habitat for a species. An ECA incorporates the presence of habitat in a patch and the amount of habitat in other patches within dispersal distance. We analyzed 197,845 locality records from specimen collections and monographs for 21,004 plant and vertebrate species. The region of Yunnan immediately adjacent to the international borders had the highest species richness, with 61% of recorded species and 56% of threatened vertebrates, which suggests high conservation value. Satellite imagery showed the area of natural forest in the border zone declined by 5.2% (13,255 km2) from 1995 to 2018 and monoculture plantations increased 92.4%, shrubland 10.1%, and other cropland 6.2%. The resulting decline in connected natural forest reduced the amount of habitat, especially for forest specialists with limited dispersal abilities. The most severe decline in connectivity was along the Sino‐Vietnamese border. Many priority areas straddle international boundaries, indicating demand and potential for establishing transboundary protected areas. Our results illustrate the importance of bi‐ and multilateral cooperation to protect biodiversity in this region and provide guidance for future conservation planning and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the climate data in 1970-2000 and the distribution data of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama in China, the main climatic indices affecting the distribution of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama were identfied by maximum entropy model (Maxent), including temperature seasonality standard deviation, precipitation of driest month(mm), precipitation of coldest quarter(mm), average maximum temperature in January(℃), average maximum temperature in September (℃), average maximum temperature in October(℃) and average minimum temperature in August (℃). The MaxEnt model was reconstructed by the 7 main climatic indices to estimate the impact of climate change on the potential distribution of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama in China. The results showed that climate prediction mode selection of CMIP6 had significant impacts on prediction of the distribution of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama. The overall prediction distribution of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama was the highest in the CanESM5 mode, and the lowest in the BCC-CSM2-MR mode. It showed that the single mode had a greater uncertainty. Affected by climate change, multi-mode ensemble prediction showed that the potential suitable areas in the 2081-2100 for Diaphorina citri Kuwayama would increase significantly compared with in the 1970-2000, from 18.8% (SSP126 scenario) to 55.7% (SSP585 scenario). In the 2081-2100, the potential high suitable area would increase significantly from 78.3% (SSP126 scenario) to 177% (SSP585 scenario). The northern boundary of the suitable distribution shifted northward to about 32°N (SSP126 scenario) and 37°N (SSP585 scenario), while the actual northern boundary was at 30°N in the 1970-2000. This study indicated that climate change would be very beneficial to the spread of Diaphorina citri Kuwayama and threaten the ecological security of citrus-producing in China. The main citrus producing provinces, especially the areas where Diaphorina citri Kuwayama had not been found, need to be vigilant and strengthen the prevention of Citrus Huanglongbing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape changes caused by agricultural production are important cause of biodiversity loss. In order to assess the impact of changes in agricultural landscape structure on species diversity and explore methods for spatial simulation of species in agricultural landscapes, based on field carabid sampling data, the non-parametric multiplicative regression(NPMR)model was applied to analyze the relationship between the diversity of carabid assemblages, present/absent of dominant species and landscape structure within 200 m surrounding the sampling site, respectively. Then, the landscape structure-species distribution prediction model of the study region was established, and the assemblage/species spatial distribution prediction map of the study region was simulated by combining GIS technology. The results show that landscape structure has no effect on biodiversity of ground beetle assemblages at community levels; at the species level, Chlaenius micans, Harpalus pallidipennis are significantly affected by patch density(p<0.05), Chlaenius micans, Chlaenius posticalis, Harpalus simplicide are significantly affected by number of semi-natural habitat types(p<0.05), and Scarites terricola is significantly affected by the ratio of semi-natural habitat(p<0.05), while the Dolichus halensis is more complicated by the landscape structure. Through the model prediction, the spatial distribution simulation map of the 6 main species in the study region are output, and further analysis shows that the 6 species sensitive to landscape structure in the study region tend to present at the narrow area between farmland and semi-natural land. In summary, the NPMR model could be effective to project the responses of species to farmland landscape structure and their spatial distribution changes in the landscape. Although ground beetle assemblages are not impacted by landscape structure at 200 m×200 m landscape scale, ground beetle species have different responses to landscape structure. Increasing semi-natural habitats among maize fields and improving the landscape configuration heterogeneity would be beneficial to the conservation of ground beetle species, which are significantly influenced by landscape structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous Peoples' lands cover over one‐quarter of Earth's surface, a significant proportion of which is still free from industrial‐level human impacts. As a result, Indigenous Peoples and their lands are crucial for the long‐term persistence of Earth's biodiversity and ecosystem services. Yet, information on species composition on these lands globally remains largely unknown. We conducted the first comprehensive analysis of terrestrial mammal composition across mapped Indigenous lands based on data on area of habitat (AOH) for 4460 mammal species assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. We overlaid each species' AOH on a current map of Indigenous lands and found that 2695 species (60% of assessed mammals) had ≥10% of their ranges on Indigenous Peoples' lands and 1009 species (23%) had >50% of their ranges on these lands. For threatened species, 473 (47%) occurred on Indigenous lands with 26% having >50% of their habitat on these lands. We also found that 935 mammal species (131 categorized as threatened) had ≥ 10% of their range on Indigenous Peoples' lands that had low human pressure. Our results show how important Indigenous Peoples' lands are to the successful implementation of conservation and sustainable development agendas worldwide. Article impact statement: Indigenous Peoples' lands are important for the successful implementation of international conservation and sustainable development agendas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As declines in biodiversity accelerate, there is an urgent imperative to ensure that every dollar spent on conservation counts toward species protection. Systematic conservation planning is a widely used approach to achieve this, but there is growing concern that it must better integrate the human social dimensions of conservation to be effective. Yet, fundamental insights about when social data are most critical to inform conservation planning decisions are lacking. To address this problem, we derived novel principles to guide strategic investment in social network information for systematic conservation planning. We considered the common conservation problem of identifying which social actors, in a social network, to engage with to incentivize conservation behavior that maximizes the number of species protected. We used simulations of social networks and species distributed across network nodes to identify the optimal state‐dependent strategies and the value of social network information. We did this for a range of motif network structures and species distributions and applied the approach to a small‐scale fishery in Kenya. The value of social network information depended strongly on both the distribution of species and social network structure. When species distributions were highly nested (i.e., when species‐poor sites are subsets of species‐rich sites), the value of social network information was almost always low. This suggests that information on how species are distributed across a network is critical for determining whether to invest in collecting social network data. In contrast, the value of social network information was greatest when social networks were highly centralized. Results for the small‐scale fishery were consistent with the simulations. Our results suggest that strategic collection of social network data should be prioritized when species distributions are un‐nested and when social networks are likely to be centralized. Article impact statement: The value of collecting social network information for conservation planning depends on both species distributions and social network structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology / Yingyong Shengtai Xuebao is the property of Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology 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.)

Using scientific and rational methods to design nature reserve functional zoning is useful for the long-term survival and reproduction of species and the management of nature reserves. Currently, the spatial characteristics of nature reserves and the conservation benefits of biodiversity are not considered in the methodologies of functional zoning of nature reserves. Systematic methods to design nature reserve functional zoning have not been established. Therefore, in this study, the Maxent model is applied to simulate the distribution of rare species and is used to design a nature reserve's functional zoning based on the model of network flow to form a continuous and compact nature reserve functional zoning. The network flow model aims to maximize the protection benefits of protected areas. To verify the feasibility of the proposed model, we divided the Quanzhou Bay Estuary Wetland Nature Reserve into 5 969 grids and selected the optimal combination of grids that would result in a nature reserve designed for rare aquatic animals. This process was associated with the original reserve area to create an optimization plan for the reserve. The model generated the core and buffer zones with continuity and compactness and ensured the core area was surrounded by the buffer zone. The model selected 491 grids as the core area, which had high habitat quality compared to the original reserve area. For optimal results, the model associated the selected core area with the original reserve area, taking the original core area as the center and selecting the grids from the east. The number of core grids was extended to 614, along with 184 buffer grids. This study designed a new integer planning model with functional zoning, and it considered the Quanzhou Bay Estuary Wetland Nature Reserve and proposed a new optimal configuration. The reserve was extended from the original reserve to the east, which covered the concentrated area of rare aquatic animals. The designed reserve can efficiently protect the rare aquatic animals and their habitat. The proposed method provides new ideas for the theory and practice of nature reserve functional zoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing protected areas, where human activities and land cover changes are restricted, is among the most widely used strategies for biodiversity conservation. This practice is based on the assumption that protected areas buffer species from processes that drive extinction. However, protected areas can maintain biodiversity in the face of climate change and subsequent shifts in distributions have been questioned. We evaluated the degree to which protected areas influenced colonization and extinction patterns of 97 avian species over 20 years in the northeastern United States. We fitted single‐visit dynamic occupancy models to data from Breeding Bird Atlases to quantify the magnitude of the effect of drivers of local colonization and extinction (e.g., climate, land cover, and amount of protected area) in heterogeneous landscapes that varied in the amount of area under protection. Colonization and extinction probabilities improved as the amount of protected area increased, but these effects were conditional on landscape context and species characteristics. In this forest‐dominated region, benefits of additional land protection were greatest when both forest cover in a grid square and amount of protected area in neighboring grid squares were low. Effects did not vary with species' migratory habit or conservation status. Increasing the amounts of land protection benefitted the range margins species but not the core range species. The greatest improvements in colonization and extinction rates accrued for forest birds relative to open‐habitat or generalist species. Overall, protected areas stemmed extinction more than they promoted colonization. Our results indicate that land protection remains a viable conservation strategy despite changing habitat and climate, as protected areas both reduce the risk of local extinction and facilitate movement into new areas. Our findings suggest conservation in the face of climate change favors creation of new protected areas over enlarging existing ones as the optimal strategy to reduce extinction and provide stepping stones for the greatest number of species. Article impact statement: Protected areas reduce extinction risk and facilitate range shifts, making them valuable for biodiversity conservation under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]