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International and national conservation policies almost exclusively focus on conserving species in their historic native ranges, thus excluding species that have been introduced by people and some of those that have extended their ranges on their own accord. Given that many of such migrants are threatened in their native ranges, conservation goals that explicitly exclude these populations may overlook opportunities to prevent extinctions and respond dynamically to rapidly changing environmental and climatic conditions. Focusing on terrestrial mammals, we quantified the number of threatened mammals that have established new populations through assisted migration (i.e., introduction). We devised 4 alternative scenarios for the inclusion of assisted‐migrant populations in mainstream conservation policy with the aim of preventing global species extinctions. We then used spatial prioritization algorithms to simulate how these scenarios could change global spatial conservation priorities. We found that 22% (70 species out of 265) of all identified assisted‐migrant mammals were threatened in their native ranges, mirroring the 25% of all mammals that are threatened. Reassessing global threat statuses by combining native and migrant ranges reduced the threat status of 23 species (∼33% of threatened assisted migrants). Thus, including migrant populations in threat assessments provides a more accurate assessment of actual global extinction risk among species. Spatial prioritization simulations showed that reimagining the role of assisted‐migrant populations in preventing species extinction could increase the importance of overlooked landscapes, particularly in central Australia, Europe, and the southwestern United States. Our results indicated that these various and nonexhaustive ways to consider assisted‐migrant populations, with due consideration of potential conservation conflicts with resident taxa, may provide unprecedented opportunities to prevent species extinctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: Terrestrial predators play key roles in cycling nutrients, as well as limiting prey populations, and shaping the behaviour of their prey. Prehistoric, historic and ongoing declines of the world's predators have reshaped terrestrial ecosystems and are a topic of conservation concern. However, the availability of ecologically relevant predator functional traits is limited, hampering efforts to understand macroecological changes in this ecologically important functional group. Here, we present CarniTraits, a comprehensive open‐access functional trait database of all late Quaternary (~130,000 ybp) terrestrial mammalian predators (149 species, ≥1 kg body mass, ≥50% vertebrate meat consumption). Main Types of Variables Contained: Mammalian terrestrial predator functional traits including body mass, diet, scavenging, locomotion, cooperative hunting, hunting habitat, hunting method, bone consumption, temporal activity patterns, brain mass and encephalisation quotient. Spatial Location and Grain: Global. Time Period and Grain: Late Quaternary (the last ~130,000 years). Major Taxa and Level of Measurement: All late Quaternary terrestrial mammalian predators (149 species, ≥1 kg body mass, ≥50% vertebrate meat consumption). Software Format: csv. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the concept of shifting baselines in ecology, which refers to the gradual changes in ecosystems over time that redefine what is considered normal. The focus is on the loss of gray wolves and the cascading effects it has on ecosystems. The authors found that many studies on national parks in the US Northwest did not consider the historical presence of wolves, highlighting the need to recognize and study the long-term impacts of wolf extirpation for effective conservation research. The document emphasizes the importance of considering historical context and other anthropogenic impacts when studying areas without large predators, and suggests using park archives to gather historical ecological information. Understanding past conditions and their modification by human actions is crucial for ecological restoration goals. [Extracted from the article]

Large herbivorous mammals, already greatly reduced by the late‐Pleistocene extinctions, continue to be threatened with decline. However, many herbivorous megafauna (body mass ≥ 100 kg) have populations outside their native ranges. We evaluate the distribution, diversity and threat status of introduced terrestrial megafauna worldwide and their contribution towards lost Pleistocene species richness. Of 76 megafauna species, 22 (∼29%) have introduced populations; of these eleven (50%) are threatened or extinct in their native ranges. Introductions have increased megafauna species richness by between 10% (Africa) and 100% (Australia). Furthermore, between 15% (Asia) and 67% (Australia) of extinct species richness, from the late Pleistocene to today, have been numerically replaced by introduced megafauna. Much remains unknown about the ecology of introduced herbivores, but evidence suggests that these populations are rewilding modern ecosystems. We propose that attitudes towards introduced megafauna should allow for broader research and management goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]