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In the late Professor G. Mace's iconic work entitled “Whose conservation?” she laid out the four movements through which U.K. conservation has progressed in the last 70 years. These are key concepts in understanding the motivations and perspectives behind conservation practice and continue to provide a useful framework through which to examine the contributions of related disciplines to habitat management and ecological restoration. Paleoecology, whilst well established as a field of research, is still finding its place as an applied science that is fully integrated into conservation practice. To facilitate the closing of this research‐implementation gap, the paper presents a reflection of the current and potential contributions of paleoecology through the lens of Mace's four conservation philosophies. The key message that emerges is that the integration and application of paleoecology in conservation is essential to holistically address the ongoing biodiversity crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental practitioners often develop communications and behavior change interventions that conceptualize individuals as consumers or as other limited, standalone personae. This view neglects the role of conservation audiences as social beings with complex social relationships and networks, potentially resulting in lost opportunities to increase the effectiveness of conservation interventions. We offer a reframing of individuals as members of social networks who can influence others through their many different societal roles. This framing may help individuals recognize their potential to affect large‐scale societal structures and empower them to contribute to systemic changes. In practice, conservation organizations might increase the impact and reach of their behavioral interventions by targeting social referents (individuals or groups who people reference for accepted and desired behaviors) and leveraging interpersonal relationships. This includes encouraging individuals to make use of their networks to discuss issues such as biodiversity loss with a variety of acquaintances to normalize them as a topic of conversation. We argue that organizations can leverage the power of social networks to amplify change and promote the message that people change the world through their social ties, thereby inspiring audiences to further engage in conservation behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-based solutions (NbS) offer an exciting opportunity to work with nature to conserve heritage sites and objects. Soft capping is a novel form of NbS used commonly in Britain and Ireland to help conserve ruined and free-standing walls; soil and vegetation is placed on the wall head to help reduce deterioration by buffering thermal fluctuations and regulating moisture. While this conservation practice has proved cheaper and more effective at reducing deterioration than traditional hard capping, soft caps need to be resilient to future environmental changes. Previous research has shown that the sedum species commonly used in soft caps are vulnerable to climate change. Thus, following feedback from an interactive webinar with practicing heritage professionals, here we assess the climate resilience of four grass species commonly found in western Europe as possible soft-capping species: Festuca rubra (red fescue), Poa pratensis (smooth meadow-grass), Catapodium rigidum (fern-grass) and Poa annua (annual meadow-grass). We use species distribution modelling (Maxent) to assess the likelihood of species survival by mid and end century based on presence probabilities derived using three climate models (HadGEM3-GC31-LL, IPSL-CM6A-LR, and MIROC6). Results show that all four species are resilient under mid-century projections, and P. annua proved resilient under all scenarios. Therefore, using turf-based soft caps incorporating one or more of these grass species could enhance the future resilience of this conservation technique. Given the growing interest in the use of nature-based approaches to heritage conservation, our study represents an important attempt to account for and adapt to a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vast grassland areas disappear due to abandonment, conversion to arable fields or urban areas. Consequently, grassland species have declined dramatically during and since the last century. The majority of remaining European grasslands are managed, many of them by mowing, which, in general, decreases arthropods' abundance and species richness.Here, we aimed to study the effects of width and proportion of refuge areas on local abundance and richness of arthropods in hay meadows. Within a ca. 4000 ha semi‐natural grassland area of the Great Hungarian Plain, we established refuge strips of different widths (3 and 9 m) and proportion of total field area (10 and 25%) following a randomised block design with six replicates per treatment. We studied five arthropod groups (grasshoppers, true bugs, carabids and ground‐dwelling and vegetation‐dwelling spiders), which we sampled 2 weeks after mowing by sweep netting and pitfall traps.Uncut strips were warmer and moister than the mown areas. The effects of refuge strips and their arrangement were stronger on the vegetation‐dwelling than on ground‐dwelling arthropods, although all taxa were affected in some way. We found more true bugs in mown areas between narrow strips than between wide strips. The interaction effect of width and proportion of refuge strips on the abundance of grasshoppers, ground‐dwelling spiders and species richness of carabids showed that wider strips are more beneficial if their proportion is low and narrow strips are more beneficial with high proportion.Synthesis and applications: Our findings provide evidence that uncut refuge strips can harbour diverse and abundant arthropod assemblages in hay meadows and mitigate the adverse effects of uniformly executed mowing on arthropods. Modifying attributes and considering farming practices, wide strips with a low (10%) proportion of total field area seem optimal for both conservation and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a sea turtle conservation area, Alas Purwo National Park (APNP) shows different patterns in the four species of turtles that have nesting records, such as an increase in Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), stability in Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas), and a decline in Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) and Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). During the survey, which lasted from January to July 2023, we discovered that each type of sea turtle preferred nesting sites at specific hypothetical stations, except for the L. olivacea, which nested at all hypothetical stations along Pancur-Cungur Coast. We also discovered that it is highly encouraged to continue relocations that have already been carried out, given the variety of predators encountered during the survey period. This discovery supports the need for in situ conservation at preferred sites for sea turtle species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I argue that the dynamic nature of contemporary, landscape‐shaping (geomorphic) processes deserves more consideration in conservation science and practice. In an analysis of a sample of fundamental terms related to geomorphology and area‐based conservation in the Web of Science, I found that the terms co‐occurred in <2% of the analyzed entries (titles, abstracts, and keywords) from 2000 to 2020. This result is indicative of the rather peripheral attention that, more broadly, landscape‐shaping processes seem to receive in the conservation literature. Among conservation scientists and practitioners, landforms that define the physical structure of habitat are often perceived as largely static, whereas the consideration of their dynamic adjustments to geomorphic processes is often limited to extreme events. I use examples derived from river‐floodplain environments to illustrate strong, multifaceted, and reciprocal interactions between biota and various erosional and depositional processes. These ubiquitous interdependencies clearly demonstrate that geomorphic processes are an integral part of ecosystem dynamics at time scales relevant for conservation. Crucially, erosional and depositional processes modulate many environmental impacts of past and current anthropogenic activities. I conclude that the absence of a more explicit and widespread consideration of geomorphic processes in conservation science and practice is surprising and detrimental to their effectiveness. I call for bolstered efforts among the conservation and geoscience communities to better integrate landscape dynamics within the field of conservation. The rise of the ecosystem‐based and social‐ecological systems approaches to conservation and the growth of interdisciplinary geoscience branches (e.g., biogeomorphology, ecohydraulics, and geoconservation) will facilitate such an integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas (PAs) guard critical biodiversity and provide ecosystem services, serving as a pillar of the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework that aims to protect 30% of the planet by 2030. But most PAs are understaffed. This study documents external workforce contributions to PA staffing in Madagascar, a biodiversity‐rich country that tripled its PA network in 2015. Taking a novel multi‐level approach, we use online surveys of 44 PAs and 13 institutions (managing 81% of PA surface area in Madagascar). Results reveal severe understaffing, reaching only a third of the global recommendation at just one staff member per 37.3 km2. Longer‐established PAs enjoy higher staffing ratios. Local community members comprise 94% of the PA external workforce, contributing up to 52% of labor in category V and VI PAs. Evolving human resource policies to deliberately better engage local communities will build PA resilience, addressing staffing gaps in a cost‐effective and sustainable manner to achieve the 30 by 30 target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A long‐term experiment (1995–2021) was conducted on litchi (Litchi chinensis L.) with and without conservation practices, that is, litchi under clean cultivation (LCC) (recommended doses of fertilizers without intercrops and mulch) and litchi with conservation practice (LCP) (micro‐site improvement, intercrops, and organic mulching) on degraded lands. The study aimed to evaluate the long‐term impact of litchi‐based land uses on vegetative growth (plant height, canopy volume, fruit yield, and litter production), soil moisture, biomass production, carbon stocks (CS), and soil qualities (enzyme activities, microbial counts, and soil fertility). The results revealed that LCP improved vegetative growth, yields, and soil moisture over LCC. The total dry biomass was observed 91.6–103.9, stored CS; 43.6–49.4, emitted CS; 7.04–9.40, mitigated CS; 30.1–30.5, soil CS; 35.7–39.9, total CS (soil + vegetation); 65.9–70.5 Mg ha−1 and carbon dioxide mitigation; 88.3–112.1 Mg ha−1 in LCC and LCP land uses, respectively. Further, in LCP, beta‐glucosidase, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, and dehydrogenase activities increased by 17.2%, 20.4%, 19.8%, and 24.8%, respectively, in surface soil compared with LCC in 2021. Likewise, the microbial density of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes was also observed to be 20.2%, 41.4%, and 19.5% higher, respectively, in LCP land use in 2021 over 2015. Similarly, available N, P, and K increased by 19.9%, 75.3%, and 36.8% under LCP from 1997 to 2021. Hence, litchi‐based land use with conservation practices can be advocated to rehabilitate and improve the soil health of degraded lands and enhance ecosystem services in similar edaphoclimatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article introduces the overview of the ancient pear tree cluster system in Laiyang, Shandong, and elaborates on the characteristies of the ancient pear tree cluster system in Laiyang, Shandong, including history, germplasm and biological species resources, adaptability to local conditions, living production techniques, pear culture, sand ancient tree landscape. From the aspects of policy, technology, product development, management and sales, protection measures for the ancient pear tree cluster system in Laiyang, Shandong are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Protected areas (PAs) guard critical biodiversity and provide ecosystem services, serving as a pillar of the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework that aims to protect 30% of the planet by 2030. But most PAs are understaffed. This study documents external workforce contributions to PA staffing in Madagascar, a biodiversity‐rich country that tripled its PA network in 2015. Taking a novel multi‐level approach, we use online surveys of 44 PAs and 13 institutions (managing 81% of PA surface area in Madagascar). Results reveal severe understaffing, reaching only a third of the global recommendation at just one staff member per 37.3 km2. Longer‐established PAs enjoy higher staffing ratios. Local community members comprise 94% of the PA external workforce, contributing up to 52% of labor in category V and VI PAs. Evolving human resource policies to deliberately better engage local communities will build PA resilience, addressing staffing gaps in a cost‐effective and sustainable manner to achieve the 30 by 30 target.

Abstract The decline of insect abundance and richness has been documented for decades and has received increased attention in recent years. In 2017, a study by Hallmann and colleagues on insect biomasses in German nature protected areas received a great deal of attention and provided the impetus for the creation of the project Diversity of Insects in Nature protected Areas (DINA). The aim of DINA was to investigate possible causes for the decline of insects in nature protected areas throughout Germany and to develop strategies for managing the problem. A major issue for the protection of insects is the lack of insect-specific regulations for nature protected areas and the lack of a risk assessment and verification of the measures applied. Most nature protected areas border on or enclose agricultural land and are structured in a mosaic, resulting in an abundance of small and narrow areas. This leads to fragmentation or even loss of endangered habitats and thus threaten biodiversity. In addition, the impact of agricultural practices, especially pesticides and fertilisers, leads to the degradation of biodiversity at the boundaries of nature protected areas, reducing their effective size. All affected stakeholders need to be involved in solving these threats by working on joint solutions. Furthermore, agriculture in and around nature protected areas must act to promote biodiversity and utilise and develop methods that reverse the current trend. This also requires subsidies from the state to ensure economic sustainability and promote biodiversity-promoting practices.

ABSTRACTSoil loss is one of the critical environmental problems caused by poor land use system, especially in developing countries. The loss of top soil through erosion in developing countries leads to loss of fertile soil which in turn increases the problem of food security. This study used the integration of the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) model and geospatial techniques to assess the annual soil loss at Bore Guda watershed of Gibe River basin in southwestern parts of Ethiopia. To calculate the annual soil loss five factors, namely, rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, topographic, cover management, and conservation practices were considered. The final soil loss severity classes were categorized into low, moderate, high, very high, and severe. The findings of the study revealed that the annual soil loss in the study area ranges from 0 to 775.784 ton/ha/year with average annual soil loss of 54.68 ton/ha/year. The results clearly showed that about 199.05 km2 (9.2%) and 872.63 km2 (41.29%) of the study area were identified as very high and severe soil loss, respectively. The results clearly showed that substantial areas categorized under severe erosion severity classes. Agricultural intensification caused by rapid population growth and high demand for more food is aggravating the problem of soil erosion. The increasing conversion due to agricultural intensification played a significant role in soil loss. The results of the study support decision makers, land administration, environmentalists, and others about the urgency of the situation and how to manage landscapes to minimize the severity of soil loss.

The Jemma Subbasin (JS) has a major soil erosion problem emanating from deforestation, overgrazing, and agricultural expansion, including farming of unproductive fringed lands and steep slope terrains. This study was conducted to assess runoff and estimate the subsequent sediment yields in the JS using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The overall efficiency of the SWAT model to accurately estimate the sediment yields in the JS was evaluated by the values of its calibration (R2 = 0.66) and validation (R2 = 0.63), respectively. The findings of the SWAT model revealed that barren land was not only the most susceptible land use type to soil erosion, but also had the highest sediment loads followed by agricultural and grazing lands. In particular, the highest soil erosion coupled with significant sediment yields is attributed to the crop-growing period particularly in the months of July and August in which the cultivated lands were extremely vulnerable to soil erosion resulting from heavy rainfall. Consequently, sediment yields were all significantly greater in the agricultural fields of the lower, middle, and upper parts of the subbasin. This is because those agricultural lands were mainly composed of undulated and moderately steep slope terrains so that they had the highest soil erosion values. However, due to the dense vegetation cover and the associated root density, forestlands were the least erosion vulnerable land use type which in turn resulted in minimal soil loss. Furthermore, the SWAT model showed that the maximum upland sediment yield was estimated to be 3,685.14 tons/ha whereas the average upland annual sediment yield was predicted to be 78.1 tons/ha; however, the sediment yield can be doubled due to climate projection scenario. As a result of the effective implementation of cover (c) and conservation practice (p), the SWAT model predicted that the sediment yields can be reduced by 44.28 % and 35.92 % for RCP8.5 and RCP4.5, respectively. Effective designing and executing of proper soil and water management measures are crucial in the study subbasin so as to minimize the serious soil erosion challenges that can be accelerated by climate and land use land cover (LULC) changes for the long-term sustainability of the degraded landscape of the JS which is categorized by subsistence farming.

The decline of insect abundance and richness has been documented for decades and has received increased attention in recent years. In 2017, a study by Hallmann and colleagues on insect biomasses in German nature protected areas received a great deal of attention and provided the impetus for the creation of the project Diversity of Insects in Nature protected Areas (DINA). The aim of DINA was to investigate possible causes for the decline of insects in nature protected areas throughout Germany and to develop strategies for managing the problem. A major issue for the protection of insects is the lack of insect-specific regulations for nature protected areas and the lack of a risk assessment and verification of the measures applied. Most nature protected areas border on or enclose agricultural land and are structured in a mosaic, resulting in an abundance of small and narrow areas. This leads to fragmentation or even loss of endangered habitats and thus threaten biodiversity. In addition, the impact of agricultural practices, especially pesticides and fertilisers, leads to the degradation of biodiversity at the boundaries of nature protected areas, reducing their effective size. All affected stakeholders need to be involved in solving these threats by working on joint solutions. Furthermore, agriculture in and around nature protected areas must act to promote biodiversity and utilise and develop methods that reverse the current trend. This also requires subsidies from the state to ensure economic sustainability and promote biodiversity-promoting practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-carnivore conflict is a global challenge with complex and context-specific causes and consequences. While spatial analyses can use ecological principles to predict patterns of conflict, solutions to mitigate conflict must also be locally adaptable, sustainable, and culturally-sensitive. In Nakuru County, Kenya, rapid development and land subdivision have exacerbated conflict by isolating wildlife in protected areas that are increasingly adjacent to human settlements. In an effort to understand local perspectives on carnivore conflict, and to apply this information toward locally-based conservations actions, we conducted gender-stratified interviews and participatory mapping sessions with 378 people in 16 villages near two ecologically isolated protected areas in Kenya: Lake Nakuru National Park and Soysambu Conservancy. Specifically, we developed a method for associating interview responses and demographic information with spatial participatory data to examine how local perceptions of conflict compared to spatially-explicit records of livestock depredation in the region from 2010 to 2018. We mapped kernel densities of recorded and perceived risk of human-carnivore conflict and then tested for potential social and ecological predictors of divergences found between the two datasets. Mismatched hotspots of observed and perceived risk of conflict were correlated with several ecological and socioeconomic factors. Regions with higher NDVI exhibited more perceived conflict, while the opposite held true for verified conflict. Road density was positively correlated with both types of conflict, and both types of conflict increased closer to protected areas. Livestock ownership, visitation to Lake Nakuru National Park, if the participant's child walked to school, and male gender identity were associated with more perceived conflict reports. Education level and national park visitation were associated with more positive attitudes toward carnivores. Our results show that while observed and perceived conflict may ultimately be equally important for understanding and managing human-carnivore conflict, they may be driven by markedly different social and ecological processes. We suggest that integrating the spatially explicit experiences and perspectives of local communities with more traditional ecological methods is critical to identifying lasting and socially just forms of conflict mitigation.

Human activities are altering the structure of ecosystems, compromising the benefits they provide to nature and people. Effective conservation actions and management under ongoing global change rely on a better understanding of socio-ecological patterns and processes across broad spatiotemporal scales. Both macroecology and conservation science contribute to this improved understanding and, while they have different scopes, these disciplines have become increasingly interconnected over time. Here we describe examples of how macroecology has contributed to conservation science, and how conservation science can motivate further macroecological developments and applications. We identify challenges and untapped potential to further strengthen the links between these two disciplines. Major macroecological contributions include developing ecological theory, providing methodologies useful for biodiversity assessments and projections, making data more accessible and addressing knowledge gaps. These contributions have played a major role in the development of conservation science, and have supported outreach to policy makers, media, and the public. Nonetheless, a pure macroecological lens is limited to inform conservation decisions, particularly in local contexts, which frequently leads to the misuse of macroecological analyses for conservation applications, misunderstandings of research outputs, and skepticism among conservation practitioners and scientists. We propose possible solutions to overcome these challenges and strengthen links between macroecology and conservation science, including a stronger focus on ecological mechanisms and predictive approaches, and the creation of hybrid journals and meetings. Finally, we suggest new avenues for macroecological research that would further benefit conservation science.

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Conservation interventions on silver tarnish and corrosion layers include mechanical, chemical, and electrolytic techniques. Electrolytic reduction is still disputed among metal conservators. The prevailing conviction with many is that mechanical cleaning methods are more likely to maintain control over the result than electrochemical methods. A survey on this subject undertaken in Germany and Austria suggested that this may be due to the traditional approaches of academic education. An electrolytic pencil was further developed and has been applied on naturally aged silver artefacts of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The influence of the electrochemical potential difference between artefact and counter electrode as well as of the tip diaphragm material was evaluated. A minimized material loss and a good controllability of conservation interventions on silver alloys were demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial reflects on the history of the conservation movement, the strong continuing influence of its colonial past, and the counter‐emergence of a more pluralistic and respectful worldview. Conservation Letters seeks to support and foster an ethical and inclusive discipline of conservation that discards elements of its colonial and racist history. This will involve broadening the disciplinary scope of "conservation" and paying greater attention to traditional ecological knowledge and nonwestern conservation approaches. We also see a particular need for theoretical advances that guide conservation practice by informing and connecting different kinds of expertise to understand social‐ecological interactions and their implications for both people and ecosystems. Conservation can and should play a vital role in securing the joint future of ecosystems and people, but it will only achieve its full potential if it retains its social license and stays relevant to emerging concerns and values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When deciding how to conserve biodiversity, practitioners navigate diverse missions, sometimes conflicting approaches, and uncertain trade‐offs. These choices are based not only on evidence, funders' priorities, stakeholders' interests, and policies, but also on practitioners' personal experiences, backgrounds, and values. Calls for greater reflexivity—an individual or group's ability to examine themselves in relation to their actions and interactions with others—have appeared in the conservation science literature. But what role does reflexivity play in conservation practice? We explored how self‐reflection can shape how individuals and groups conserve nature. To provide examples of reflexivity in conservation practice, we conducted a year‐long series of workshop discussions and online exchanges. During these, we examined cases from the peer‐reviewed and gray literature, our own experiences, and conversations with 10 experts. Reflexivity among practitioners spanned individual and collective levels and informal and formal settings. Reflexivity also encompassed diverse themes, including practitioners' values, emotional struggles, social identities, training, cultural backgrounds, and experiences of success and failure. Reflexive processes also have limitations, dangers, and costs. Informal and institutionalized reflexivity requires allocation of limited time and resources, can be hard to put into practice, and alone cannot solve conservation challenges. Yet, when intentionally undertaken, reflexive processes might be integrated into adaptive management cycles at multiple points, helping conservation practitioners better reach their goals. Reflexivity could also play a more transformative role in conservation by motivating practitioners to reevaluate their goals and methods entirely. Reflexivity might help the conservation movement imagine and thus work toward a better world for wildlife, people, and the conservation sector itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Improving the effectiveness of conservation practice requires better use of evidence. Since 2004, researchers from the Conservation Evidence group (University of Cambridge) have engaged with over 1100 named practitioners, policymakers, funders and other academics from across the world to identify needs and develop a range of principles, tools and resources to embed evidence in decision making. The goal of this engagement (the Conservation Evidence Programme) was to deliver improved conservation practice leading to benefits for nature and society. Together, we developed a theory of change with five key strategies for delivering change, alongside a freely available Evidence Toolkit to support decision makers in achieving that change. The authors describe the toolkit, a collection of freely available tools and resources developed by the collaborative programme, and how co‐design, employing different levels of partner engagement, enabled its development. Reflecting on our experiences highlighted a number of insights and recommendations, including the need to identify where deep engagement is a necessary condition for success; the importance of collective agreement of the roles of different partners; the need to consider how to facilitate uptake of new tools or practices, particularly where that requires changes to organisational practices or culture; and the importance of establishing processes/channels for ongoing engagement with stakeholders, with a willingness to be flexible and open to incorporating new suggestions and perspectives as needed. The Conservation Evidence Programme has enabled practitioners, funders and policymakers to become part of a network of forward‐thinking organisations that is working collaboratively to help drive more effective conservation practice through improved evidence use.

Abstract This editorial reflects on the history of the conservation movement, the strong continuing influence of its colonial past, and the counter‐emergence of a more pluralistic and respectful worldview. Conservation Letters seeks to support and foster an ethical and inclusive discipline of conservation that discards elements of its colonial and racist history. This will involve broadening the disciplinary scope of “conservation” and paying greater attention to traditional ecological knowledge and nonwestern conservation approaches. We also see a particular need for theoretical advances that guide conservation practice by informing and connecting different kinds of expertise to understand social‐ecological interactions and their implications for both people and ecosystems. Conservation can and should play a vital role in securing the joint future of ecosystems and people, but it will only achieve its full potential if it retains its social license and stays relevant to emerging concerns and values.

A saturated buffer (SB) is a conservation drainage practice that removes nitrate from subsurface drainage discharge. The reported wide range of nitrate load removal necessitates improvements in design approaches for more consistent performance. There are two SB design approaches: Illinois Natural Resources Conservation Service (Design 1) and McEachran et al. (2020) (Design 2). We proposed a new Design 3 that builds on the previous two designs. In Design 3, the nitrate load removal was simulated for buffer widths ranging from 3 to 30 m with a 0.3-m interval, and the buffer width that maximized the annual nitrate load reduction over the long term was chosen as the SB design. The objective of this study was to identify the best design approaches for maximizing nitrate load removal based on field data. Daily drainage discharge data from two field sites in Michigan were used to design a hypothetical SB length and width for each approach. The designs were compared by applying an identical method to estimate the nitrate load removal for each hypothetical SB system. The method extends Designs 1 and 2 by incorporating a hydrological and nitrate removal component. The results showed that using the minimum recommended buffer width of 9.1 m and the minimum 5% SB design capacity of Design 1 resulted in 25% to 35% of diverted flow to the buffer and 14% to 16% nitrate load removal at the two field sites. However, Design 1 resulted in the lowest nitrate removal compared to Designs 2 and 3 (i.e., 0.3% to 3.4% lower). Designs 2 and 3 consistently provided maximum nitrate load removal regardless of the site conditions, whereas the performance of Design 1 was inconsistent. In conclusion, Designs 2 and 3 were equally good and resulted in higher nitrate load removal compared to Design 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the decline of insect biodiversity and the imminent loss of provided ecosystem functions and services has received public attention and raised the demand for political action. The complex, multi-causal contributors to insect decline require a broad interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach that addresses ecological and social aspects to find sustainable solutions. The project Diversity of Insects in Nature protected Areas (DINA) assesses insect communities in 21 nature reserves in Germany, and considers interactions with plant diversity, pesticide exposure, spatial and climatic factors. The nature reserves border on agricultural land, to investigate impacts on insect diversity. Part of the project is to obtain scientific data from Malaise traps and their surroundings, while another part involves relevant stakeholders to identify opportunities and obstacles to insect diversity conservation. Our results indicate a positive association between insect richness and biomass. Insect richness was negatively related to the number of stationary pesticides (soil and vegetation), pesticides measured in ethanol, the amount of area in agricultural production, and precipitation. Our qualitative survey along with stakeholder interviews show that there is general support for insect conservation, while at the same time the stakeholders expressed the need for more information and data on insect biodiversity, as well as flexible policy options. We conclude that conservation management for insects in protected areas should consider a wider landscape. Local targets of conservation management will have to integrate different stakeholder perspectives. Scientifically informed stakeholder dialogues can mediate conflicts of interests, knowledge, and values to develop mutual conservation scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation within species to local environments is widespread in nature. Better understanding this local adaptation is critical to conserving biodiversity. However, conservation practices can rely on species' trait averages or can broadly assume homogeneity across the range to inform management. Recent methodological advances for studying local adaptation provide the opportunity to fine-tune efforts for managing and conserving species. The implementation of these advances will allow us to better identify populations at greatest risk of decline because of climate change, as well as highlighting possible strategies for improving the likelihood of population persistence amid climate change. In the present article, we review recent advances in the study of local adaptation and highlight ways these tools can be applied in conservation efforts. Cutting-edge tools are available to help better identify and characterize local adaptation. Indeed, increased incorporation of local adaptation in management decisions may help meet the imminent demands of managing species amid a rapidly changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over recent decades a more holistic view of cultural heritage has emerged, beyond simplistic tangible versus intangible dichotomies. Similarly, conservation has evolved from being material- to value-based, developing living heritage, people-centred and people-culture-nature approaches. As conservation interventions on objects, monuments and sites can affect an associated living culture and vice versa, conservators have a responsibility not only to understand tangible and intangible values, but also the local community and practitioners and bearers of tradition, by considering forms of 'usage' and 'interaction' with objects/monuments, identifying them before practical conservation starts. Whilst often constraining practice, living heritage can enrich professional work by encouraging participation and creativity through generating new, and adapting existing, approaches. This paper examines some (practical) implications of living heritage for conservation practice, by considering the Patan Durbar Square in Nepal, and the emphasis placed on continued use and community connection, to help conservators assume their social responsibilities and increase awareness of this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of species are facing unprecedented levels of threat to their long‐term survival due to the direct and indirect impacts of climate change. Key opportunities for science to inform wildlife management are linked to increasing our understanding of how changes in climatic conditions will impact species, as well as whether, and how, managers may facilitate species' ability to adapt to change. However, information on species' climate change vulnerability and the effectiveness of potential conservation actions are not yet strategically collected or collated; this disconnect between threat level, ecological research and conservation practice is reducing the opportunities to guide decision‐making, ultimately hindering conservation outcomes.To demonstrate this point, we explore how existing knowledge can be brought together in a pressure‐state‐response framework that connects climate change ecology, conservation evidence assessments and management. Seabirds in Western Europe are used as a case study, as they are well‐researched and vulnerable to climate change. Using a combination of literature reviews and surveys, we identify the main threats posed to seabirds in the region by climate change, as well as existing conservation actions that could be applied to lessen the impacts of each of these threats.Our results show that 29% of the types of actions considered for reducing the impacts of climate change on seabirds are either associated with conflicting evidence or lack sufficient information to make robust conclusions about their effectiveness: actions aiming at restoring or creating habitat, encouraging relocation, treating or preventing disease, and reducing inter‐species competition all have limited or mixed evidence to support their use. Moreover, several threats identified by conservation practitioners as being of high priority to address, such as changes in prey abundance and eutrophication, have few or no viable identified actions to reduce their impact on seabirds.Synthesis and applications. We suggest that existing knowledge on species vulnerability to climate change and evidence of conservation action effectiveness should be more commonly brought together in tailored pressure‐state‐response frameworks. Such an approach provides an easily transferable platform for identifying missing information and areas where connections between research and management need to be tightened to improve conservation outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partnerships between researchers and conservation practitioners are essential for gathering the information needed to diagnose conservation problems and to determine what actions are most likely to be effective to achieve desired conservation outcomes. In developing countries where conservation capacity is limited, it is critical that partnerships between international and local research and practitioner communities also strengthen local capacity to lead in the conservation of their own regions. To achieve this means avoiding the pitfalls of "parachute science," a phenomenon where foreign researchers engage in a project in a developing country without appropriately integrating or acknowledging local researchers and without investing in the professional capacity of a country's individuals or institutions. Using the authors' experience, we describe four approaches used to structure international research partnerships with conservation and academic institutions in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, where government policies oblige foreign researchers to partner with national institutions and students. We describe the impact of these partnerships on strengthening national capacity for conservation science and practice over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Including green manure into a rice-based double-cropping system has effects on both crop production and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Yet, few studies have considered the trade-off between crop productivity, profitability, and carbon footprint (CF) in this cropping system of China. Thus, the impacts of different cropping regimes on crop productivity, economic benefits, carbon footprint, and net ecosystem economic budget (NEEB) were investigated. The treatments were rice–wheat (R–W), rice–rape (R–R), rice–hairy vetch (R–H), rice–barley (R–B), rice–faba bean (R–F), and rice–fallow (R). Compared to R–W treatment, planting rape (R–R), green manure (R–F, R–H), or fallow (R) in winter season tended to improve rice yield, but they were not conducive to yield stability. Treatments of R–H, R–F, and R reduced both direct and indirect GHG emission, and thus mitigated the area-scaled carbon footprint by 34.4%, 44.2%, and 49.7%, respectively, compared to R–W treatment. The economic benefits under R–R, R–B, or R system were not different from those of R–W treatment, while R–H reduced the economic benefit by 70.1%. In comparison with R–W treatment, R–H treatment reduced the NEEB, while R–F significantly increased the NEEB by USD 4065 ha−1. The present results indicate that as a measure to realize the combination of food security and environmental cost reduction, substituting leguminous crops with wheat can mitigate carbon emissions while ensuring profitability, on the premise of yield stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Partnerships between researchers and conservation practitioners are essential for gathering the information needed to diagnose conservation problems and to determine what actions are most likely to be effective to achieve desired conservation outcomes. In developing countries where conservation capacity is limited, it is critical that partnerships between international and local research and practitioner communities also strengthen local capacity to lead in the conservation of their own regions. To achieve this means avoiding the pitfalls of “parachute science,” a phenomenon where foreign researchers engage in a project in a developing country without appropriately integrating or acknowledging local researchers and without investing in the professional capacity of a country's individuals or institutions. Using the authors' experience, we describe four approaches used to structure international research partnerships with conservation and academic institutions in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, where government policies oblige foreign researchers to partner with national institutions and students. We describe the impact of these partnerships on strengthening national capacity for conservation science and practice over time.

Many organizations provide sustainable resource management workshops in the Peruvian Amazon. Some teach climbing techniques to communities who harvest wild Mauritia flexuosa palm fruit because most harvest is done by cutting down adult female palms. The objectives of this study were to describe the approaches and identify the factors and conditions linked to adopting sustainable harvesting practices and explain what conditions may be necessary for achieving conservation outcomes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 474 heads of households in 24 communities, as well as focus groups with community leadership in each community. Project managers from 15 organizations that provide workshops and two instructors that teach climbing workshops were also interviewed. Analysis relied on the design principles of common pool resources and research on enabling conditions, which predict that certain contextual factors may be required for the establishment of effective resource management. We find no evidence that training workshop participation led to long-term behavior change absent institutional changes such as the establishment of informal but enforced individual spatial property rights. However, there is strong community adoption of climbing practices in areas where these enforced property rights are coupled with provision of climbing equipment and training. Lessons learned from this project explore characteristics of successful workshops, providing insights for effective conservation. We suggest adopting a diagnostics step to evaluate existing community conditions, a formal plan for collaboration among organizations, emphasis on broader institutional reforms to alleviate conservation disincentives related to non-exclusivity, and impact evaluation to assess strategies.

Human-carnivore conflict is a global challenge with complex and context-specific causes and consequences. While spatial analyses can use ecological principles to predict patterns of conflict, solutions to mitigate conflict must also be locally adaptable, sustainable, and culturally-sensitive. In Nakuru County, Kenya, rapid development and land subdivision have exacerbated conflict by isolating wildlife in protected areas that are increasingly adjacent to human settlements. In an effort to understand local perspectives on carnivore conflict, and to apply this information toward locally-based conservations actions, we conducted gender-stratified interviews and participatory mapping sessions with 378 people in 16 villages near two ecologically isolated protected areas in Kenya: Lake Nakuru National Park and Soysambu Conservancy. Specifically, we developed a method for associating interview responses and demographic information with spatial participatory data to examine how local perceptions of conflict compared to spatially-explicit records of livestock depredation in the region from 2010 to 2018. We mapped kernel densities of recorded and perceived risk of human-carnivore conflict and then tested for potential social and ecological predictors of divergences found between the two datasets. Mismatched hotspots of observed and perceived risk of conflict were correlated with several ecological and socioeconomic factors. Regions with higher NDVI exhibited more perceived conflict, while the opposite held true for verified conflict. Road density was positively correlated with both types of conflict, and both types of conflict increased closer to protected areas. Livestock ownership, visitation to Lake Nakuru National Park, if the participant's child walked to school, and male gender identity were associated with more perceived conflict reports. Education level and national park visitation were associated with more positive attitudes toward carnivores. Our results show that while observed and perceived conflict may ultimately be equally important for understanding and managing human-carnivore conflict, they may be driven by markedly different social and ecological processes. We suggest that integrating the spatially explicit experiences and perspectives of local communities with more traditional ecological methods is critical to identifying lasting and socially just forms of conflict mitigation.

While most animal behavior researchers have mastered the process of knowledge creation, generating knowledge that can readily be applied requires a different set of skills. The process and timeframe of fundamental scientific knowledge production is often not relevant to those who might apply it, such as conservation or wildlife managers. Additionally, the complex challenges that policy makers, managers and practitioners face are often not adequately communicated to and among scientists. This mutual disconnect in discourse, relationships, common terms, and practices is especially apparent when animal behavior researchers seek to have applied impact. We argue that bridging the complex implementation gap in animal behavior requires a formalized vision for change. We turn to change model theory, a tool commonly used in other fields for identifying the links between actions and outcomes necessary for enacting large-scale change. We focus on the subfield of conservation behavior with a change model that outlines specific ways to improve collaboration and coordination between animal behavior science and conservation practice. We present this targeted change model, review each strategy the model outlines, and highlight pressing actions that people from various career stages and backgrounds can take. We encourage researchers to further the alignment of science with management needs by developing the proper communication mechanisms for improved cultural exchange and plan future change model efforts directly targeting managers. Beyond the conservation behavior change model we present, we also discuss the broad applicability of change models to enhance the application of academic research to other fields. Fundamental science researchers are increasingly required to show impact of their work on society; the change model process we describe here can enable further impact.

Using bivariate ordered logit models, we investigate factors that determine farmers' perceptions of cover-crop profitability and likelihood of future usage in the climate transition zone of the Northern Great Plains. Our results indicate that approximately 40% of long-term (10+ years) users perceived a profit increase of more than 5%. Additionally, future adoption decisions are positively affected by environment-oriented attitudes and negatively affected by prioritizing short-term profitability. More efforts can be directed toward educational programs that enhance understanding of the short- versus long-term economic benefits of cover crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Including green manure into a rice-based double-cropping system has effects on both crop production and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Yet, few studies have considered the trade-off between crop productivity, profitability, and carbon footprint (CF) in this cropping system of China. Thus, the impacts of different cropping regimes on crop productivity, economic benefits, carbon footprint, and net ecosystem economic budget (NEEB) were investigated. The treatments were rice–wheat (R–W), rice–rape (R–R), rice–hairy vetch (R–H), rice–barley (R–B), rice–faba bean (R–F), and rice–fallow (R). Compared to R–W treatment, planting rape (R–R), green manure (R–F, R–H), or fallow (R) in winter season tended to improve rice yield, but they were not conducive to yield stability. Treatments of R–H, R–F, and R reduced both direct and indirect GHG emission, and thus mitigated the area-scaled carbon footprint by 34.4%, 44.2%, and 49.7%, respectively, compared to R–W treatment. The economic benefits under R–R, R–B, or R system were not different from those of R–W treatment, while R–H reduced the economic benefit by 70.1%. In comparison with R–W treatment, R–H treatment reduced the NEEB, while R–F significantly increased the NEEB by USD 4065 ha−1. The present results indicate that as a measure to realize the combination of food security and environmental cost reduction, substituting leguminous crops with wheat can mitigate carbon emissions while ensuring profitability, on the premise of yield stability.

India has a centuries-long history of heritage conservation in the public realm; private practice, however, mainly began in the 1980s, led primarily by architects. Contemporary professionals are also typically architects with graduate training in heritage conservation. Their training in architecture, conservation, or both, however, mainly focuses on design and the technical aspects of the field. However, an analysis of narratives collected from conservation architects shows that in the course of a project, they take on various nontraditional roles beyond their training to bring projects to fruition. These roles can be applied to a variety of professional environments involving different stakeholders. This paper examines narratives focusing on projects involving public officials because most conservation projects in India continue to be publicly funded. By framing the narratives within three types of professional environments—constrained, porous, and enabling—this paper discusses how by taking on nontraditional roles, conservation architects can shape the current profession and its future practitioners, with implications for conservation education in India and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a conservation genetics tool kit, which offers two ready-to-use workflows for the routine application of genetic methods in conservation management. The workflows were optimized for work load and costs and are accompanied by an easy-to-read and richly illustrated manual with guidelines regarding sampling design, sampling of genetic material, necessary permits, laboratory methods, statistical analyses and documentation of results in a practice-oriented way. The manual also provides a detailed interpretation help for the implementation of the results in conservation management. One workflow deals with the identification of pond-breeding amphibians based on metabarcoding and environmental DNA (eDNA) from water samples. This workflow also discriminates the morphologically similar water frogs (Pelophylax sp.) and other closely related species (e.g. Triturus cristatus and T. carnifex). The second workflow studies connectivity among populations using microsatellite markers. Its statistical analyses encompass the detection of genetic groups and historical, recent and current dispersal and gene flow. Using the two workflows does not involve academic research institutes; they can be applied by environmental consultancies, laboratories from the private sector, governmental agencies or non-governmental organisations. These and additional conservation genetic workflows will hopefully foster the routine use of genetic methods in conservation management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted to estimate the retention efficiency of vegetative buffers for Escherichia coli deposited on grasslands in cattle fecal deposits and subject to natural rainfall-runoff conditions. The study was conducted on annual grasslands in California's northern Sierra Nevada foothills, a region with a distinct wet–dry season Mediterranean climate. We used 48, 2.0- by 3.0-m runoff plots to examine the efficacy of 0.1-, 1.1-, and 2.1-m buffers at three land slopes (5, 20, and 35%) and four dry vegetation matter levels (225, 560, 900, and 4500 kg/ha) across 27 rainfall-runoff events during two rainfall seasons. Buffer width treatments were implemented by placement of cattle fecal material containing known loads of E. coli 0.1, 1.1, or 2.1 m upslope of the plot runoff collector. Mean total runoff to total rainfall ratio per plot ranged from 0.014:1 to 0.019:1 and reflected the high infiltration capacity of these soils. Approximately 94.8 to 99.995% of total E. coli load applied to each plot appears to be either retained in the fecal pat and/or attenuated within 0.1 m downslope of the fecal pat, irrespective of the presence of a wider vegetated buffer. Relative to a 0.1-m buffer, we found 0.3 to 3.1 log10 reduction in E. coli discharge per additional meter of vegetative buffer across the range of residual dry vegetation matter levels, land slope, and rainfall and runoff conditions experienced during this project. Buffer efficiency was significantly reduced as runoff increased. These results support the assertion that grassland buffers are an effective method for reducing animal agricultural inputs of waterborne E. coli into surface waters.