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The ecology and distribution of caddisflies is an important topic with regard to the general biodiversity of insects and also the ecological quality of freshwaters. Our recent rediscovery of Chimarra marginata (Linnaeus) in the Czech Republic took place after more than 80 years and is important from a biomonitoring point of view. We present new data from the Ohře River in western Bohemia and give a review of the historical occurrence of this species in the territory of former Czechoslovakia. Ecological preferences are discussed as well as the potential value of the species for bioindication. This report also emphasizes the importance of regular routine sampling to monitor changes in species diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefits to wildlife communities stemming from the protection of a single species have been documented in terrestrial and marine systems but remain understudied within the context of freshwater‐protected areas (FPAs). We used five long‐standing (>80 years) FPAs in three lakes in eastern Ontario, Canada, which were initially established to protect native black bass (Micropterus spp.) from angling exploitation, to assess whether this protection affected wildlife communities found in the riparian areas of these FPAs. From May to July 2021, we used baited remote camera traps and visual surveys to assess species diversity within and outside of FPAs. We recorded 61 species spanning mammalian, avian and herpetofauna taxa, with the two assessment methods identifying unique sets of species (23% overlap). Camera traps showed that animals were more active in riparian areas during the day (62% of detections) than at night. FPAs had a variable but overall positive influence on riparian wildlife biodiversity, hosting more bird, mammal, amphibian and reptile species than non‐protected areas and having higher species richness. FPAs differed from other sites in the lakes by having higher habitat complexity, less human infrastructure and less human use, which potentially contributed to these differences. This study raises awareness that even small FPAs can have legacy, umbrella‐type benefits that extend beyond fishes to the wildlife that use the adjacent riparian areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major obstacle to preventing and reversing biodiversity loss in the Anthropocene lies in the scarcity of tools and data for monitoring the health and trajectory of ecosystems. Sentinel species can provide insight into unobserved ecosystem change, but it is unclear how effective sentinels are due to the local, context‐dependent nature of past research.Here, we present the first global evaluation on the effectiveness of sentinel species as indicators of ecosystem change. We conducted a meta‐analysis on 372 case studies to identify the ecological and methodological factors that correlate with the most effective sentinel species.Sentinel performance did not vary consistently across taxa or system; instead, sentinels that were more directly linked to ecosystem change due to their trophic role as predators were more effective. In addition, sentinel responses that were measured on a shorter timescale were more effective at indicating ecosystem change.Policy Implications. These results contribute to the longstanding debate on "what makes a good sentinel" and demonstrate the importance of both ecological and methodological factors when selecting sentinels to detect ecosystem change. For example, sentinel species which are trophically linked and measured on short timescales may be more effective for managers seeking to monitor ecosystem change than other species. By identifying effective traits for the use of sentinel species, scientists and policymakers will be able to develop rapid and adaptable management plans in response to global change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raptors are threatened by anthropogenic land modifications, but targeted quantitative assessment of these impacts is lacking. We conducted the first global quantitative evaluation of the impacts of human‐modified land on raptors. We used eBird data from 2001 to 2020 on 425 raptor species and occupancy models to assess the impacts of human‐modified land on raptor distribution. The mean spatiotemporal correlations of human settlement, cropland, and pasture with raptor occupancy probability were −0.048 (SE 0.031), −0.134 (0.032), and −0.145 (0.032), respectively. The mean sensitivity of raptor occupancy probability to settlement, cropland, and pasture was −5.760 (2.266), −3.128 (1.540), and −2.402 (1.551), respectively. The occupancy probability of raptors with a large body mass was more negatively correlated with cropland (phylogenetic generalized least squares regressions: slope = −0.052 [SE 0.022], t = −2.335, df = 1, 407, p = 0.020, λ = 0.006) and more positively correlated with pasture (slope = 0.047 [0.022], t = 2.118, df = 1, 407, p = 0.035, λ = 0.013). The occupancy probability of raptors with a more extensive range size was more positively correlated with cropland (slope = 0.002 [0.004], t = 0.399, df = 1, 407, p < 0.001, λ = 0.000). Raptors that prefer open habitats were more positively correlated with cropland (analysis of variance: F = 3.424, df = 2, p = 0.034, λ = 0.000) and pasture (F = 6.577, df = 2, p = 0.002, λ = 0.000). In Africa and South America, where raptor species are most abundant, raptor occupancy probability decreased over 20 years, most likely due to habitat fragmentation associated with human land modification. Although raptors with different ecological characteristics had different responses to human land modification, the impacts of settlement, cropland, and pasture on mean raptor occupancy probability were negative, regardless of space and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes a two-year (2021 and 2022) survey which sought to determine the breeding population of White-backed Woodpecker (Dendrocopos leucotos) in Hungary. The survey was initiated by the Hungarian Woodpecker Group of MME/BirdLife Hungary and was the first to be conducted nationwide on this species. All hill ranges where the species was historically known to occur were visited. A total of 31 observers were involved, and 102 UTM squares in which White-backed Woodpeckers were known to breed, or potentially breed, were visited. The results suggest that the Hungarian breeding population of this endangered species ranges between 480 and 800 pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restoration of anthropogenically altered habitats has often focused on management for umbrella species—vulnerable species whose conservation is thought to benefit co‐occurring species. Woody plant encroachment is a form of habitat alteration occurring in grasslands and shrublands around the globe, driven by anthropogenic shifts in disturbance regimes. Conifer encroachment is a pervasive threat to historically widespread sagebrush communities, as trees outcompete sagebrush and can negatively affect sagebrush‐obligate animal species. Degradation and loss of sagebrush plant communities in western North America have been associated with drastic declines in wildlife populations. The imperilled Greater Sage‐Grouse is assumed to be an umbrella species for the sagebrush community, so habitat restoration, including removal of encroaching conifers, is commonly targeted towards sage‐grouse. How this conservation action affects the demography of species other than sage‐grouse is largely unknown.We quantified the demographic effects of landscape‐level restoration of sagebrush communities through conifer removal on an assemblage of sagebrush‐obligate, shrubland generalist and woodland‐associated songbirds. We compared songbird density and reproduction between adjacent restored and uncut conifer‐encroached sagebrush plots in southwest Montana. We found and monitored nests to record nest fate and number of offspring produced.We found demographic benefits for sagebrush‐obligate species in restored areas. Sage Thrashers colonized restored areas. Brewer's Sparrow density was 39% higher and nest success was 63% higher in removal treatments, resulting in 119% higher fledgling production compared with uncut areas. The density of Vesper Sparrows, a shrubland generalist, was 308% higher and fledgling production was 660% higher in restored areas.Another shrubland generalist, the White‐crowned Sparrow, experienced 55% lower density and 37% lower fledgling production in conifer removal areas. Two woodland‐associated species, Chipping Sparrows and Dark‐eyed Juncos, were nearly extirpated following conifer removal. A third woodland associate, the Green‐tailed Towhee, experienced 57% lower density and 69% lower fledgling production in removal than non‐removal areas.Synthesis and applications. Our study demonstrates the benefits of conifer removal for sagebrush‐obligate species, while highlighting species that may be sensitive. Umbrella species management can benefit co‐occurring species with similar habitat associations, but demographic analyses for all impacted species are essential for effective conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation efforts are challenged by lack of funding and ambiguity in strategic prioritisation. Flagship species generate public attention but may not adequately represent and protect biodiversity. Integrating species‐centric approaches with area‐based strategies may refine conservation outcomes and could improve achievements towards biodiversity targets. We present this case for a globally appealing flagship species, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). We identified research trends and gaps, and estimated the biodiversity value associated with cheetah occurrence throughout its free‐ranging distribution. Although the existing body of literature encompasses insights from diverse interdisciplinary approaches, current knowledge is mostly derived from a limited number of localised study areas, whereas most populations are understudied. Cheetahs inhabit more than half of Africa's ecoregions and their contemporary occurrence coincides with areas valuable for biodiversity conservation, in particular, closer to the equator where ecoregions are poorly protected and human footprint is high. Cheetah conservation efforts could yield substantial biodiversity benefits, particularly outside protected areas, thereby complementing current area protection networks. Growing pressures on remaining habitat will require adaptive conservation strategies; hence, it becomes imperative to embrace a more inclusive and comprehensive approach to the protection of cheetahs, a flagship species for drylands and landscapes shared with humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The larvae of many marine species are pelagic drifters in the vast oceans, yet they are the first and, for sessile species, the only way to connect with other populations. Connectivity is of particular interest in designing and assessing marine protected areas (MPAs), as it is considered a factor of renewal and stability.In this study, we focused on larval mixing between MPAs, investigating mixing rates during and at the end of their pelagic life, and how this is affected by the timing of larval release. We used a particle transport model coupled to the climatological hydrodynamics of the northwestern Mediterranean Sea to simulate the trajectories of Nephrops norvegicus larvae. Larvae were released from four no‐take MPAs, where fishery activity is banned, and started mixing between 7 and 12 days old.At settlement time, larval mixing mainly occurred between two pairs of MPAs labelled AxB (49.4% ± 5.8%) and CxD (23.7% ± 10.7%), respectively, located on the northern and southern sides of a thermal front. Percentages of larval mixing between these pairs changed, and other MPA combinations were formed with delayed larval release times. Mixing of larvae released from the same MPA tended to decrease with increasing delays between release times.This variability in mixing was related to the latitudinal distribution of MPAs along the continental slope and the spatiotemporal dynamics of the regional hydrodynamics, with a strong impact from a thermal front.Larval mixing modelling is a useful measure for understanding connectivity in marine environments and can suggest new conservation decisions. It identifies MPAs that are spatially distributed to facilitate the convergence of larvae from various protected areas. It also underlines that recognizing the significance of hydrodynamic variability when designing MPAs is crucial for promoting efficient connectivity among these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Umbrella species and other surrogate species approaches to conservation provide an appealing framework to extend the reach of conservation efforts beyond single species. For the umbrella species concept to be effective, populations of multiple species of concern must persist in areas protected on behalf of the umbrella species. Most assessments of the concept, however, focus exclusively on geographic overlap among umbrella and background species, and not measures that affect population persistence (e.g. habitat quality or fitness). We quantified the congruence between the habitat preferences and nesting success of a high‐profile umbrella species (greater sage‐grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus, hereafter 'sage‐grouse'), and three sympatric species of declining songbirds (Brewer's sparrow Spizella breweri, sage thrasher Oreoscoptes montanus and vesper sparrow Pooecetes gramineus) in central Wyoming, USA during 2012–2013. We used machine‐learning methods to create data‐driven predictions of sage‐grouse nest‐site selection and nest survival probabilities by modeling field‐collected sage‐grouse data relative to habitat attributes. We then used field‐collected songbird data to assess whether high‐quality sites for songbirds aligned with those of sage‐grouse. Nest sites selected by songbirds did not coincide with sage‐grouse nesting preferences, with the exception that Brewer's sparrows preferred similar nest sites to sage‐grouse in 2012. Moreover, the areas that produced higher rates of songbird nest survival were unrelated to those for sage‐grouse. Our findings suggest that management actions at local scales that prioritize sage‐grouse nesting habitat will not necessarily enhance the reproductive success of sagebrush‐associated songbirds. Measures implemented to conserve sage‐grouse and other purported umbrella species at broad spatial scales likely overlap the distribution of many species, however, broad‐scale overlap may not translate to fine‐scale conservation benefit beyond the umbrella species itself. The maintenance of microhabitat heterogeneity important for a diversity of species of concern will be critical for a more holistic application of the umbrella species concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White storks (Ciconia ciconia), an emblematic bird of high conservation interest, build massive nests which are also important breeding sites for other birds. However, their role as a potential source of food for foraging birds and bats is unexplored. In this study, we counted insectivorous aerially foraging birds (swallows, martins, and swifts), sparrows, and bats foraging around 51 pairs of white storks' nest and control sites in Poland. The number of birds was significantly higher near active white stork nests than control sites, but this effect was invisible for bats. White storks provide important benefits to the conservation of co-occurring species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the face of the ongoing biodiversity crisis and limited conservation funding, surrogate approaches have become a valuable tool to represent biodiversity. Management surrogates are those that indirectly benefit an ecological system or species by representing the management requirements of co-occurring biodiversity. Recent findings highlight the cost-effective potential of surrogate species in managing threatened species, however, evaluating higher levels of biodiversity as management surrogates remains unexplored. Here, we sought to maximize conservation outcomes for threatened species and threatened ecological communities (TECs) by prioritizing management based on overlapping distributions, threats, and costs. We describe a prioritization framework for identifying TECs that could serve as cost-effective surrogates, and compare it with prioritizing threatened species only or both species and TECs. We show that when the objective is to maximize benefits for threatened species, a community approach performs poorly due to limited geographic overlap and high costs, while prioritizing species returned 7.5 times more benefits delivered to species under the same budget. Yet, if the objective is to maximize benefits across species and TECs simultaneously, a combined approach including both as surrogates delivers the greatest benefit for the same costs as a species-only approach. Range sizes and taxonomic groups significantly influenced the priority list, with threatened invertebrates and TECs of smaller ranges more likely to be selected as surrogates. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of incorporating accurate data on factors such as threats and costs for identifying effective management surrogates, and highlights the potential benefits of prioritizing across multiple biodiversity features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex and dynamic networks of river system, vital for the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem services, are under pressure due to human-induced water stress disrupting ecological processes. Recognition of the importance of rivers as source of life though has led to efforts towards protecting large rivers, nevertheless the conservation and management of smaller rivers remained mostly neglected, creating significant gaps in ecological restoration initiatives. In the present study, we assess the distribution and population status of Gangetic dolphin (Platanista gangetica) in the small rivers in the Ganga River Basin for integrating it into the basin wide river conservation strategy. We observed that the Gangetic dolphin inhabited most tributaries and sub-tributaries of the Ganga River, with a naïve occupancy rate of Ψ̂ = 0.68 ± 0.04 (mean ± SE) having 606 ± 142.77 (mean ± SE) individuals and accounts for 15% of the total Gangetic dolphin population in the Basin. The results of N-mixture and MaxEnt models demonstrate that channel depth, presence of meanders and water discharge were key predictors of distribution in these rivers, and the proximity to confluences were identified as a critical predictor. About 54% (620 km) of 1150 km of the surveyed river stretches exhibited suitability for dolphins in the Basin, indicated by a probability distribution score of ≥0.50. Combining this data with the available information, we delineated a total of 2850 km stretch covering entire Ganga River System suitable for Gangetic dolphins within the Basin. Notably, the 620 km of suitable stretches identified in smaller rivers represent 22% of the overall suitable stretches across the entire basin. These stretches were translated to conservation priority stretches for systematic conservation planning involving various stakeholders for improved river conservation in the Basin.

Lobaria pulmonaria has been subject to strict and zonal protection in Poland for almost 20 years, assuming the function of an umbrella species for the protection of natural biodiversity. Knowledge about this function, however, is limited, mainly due to a lack of relevant research. The current protection zone with a radius (R) of up to 50 m was significantly reduced in 2014 compared to the previous one from 2004 (R=100 m), mainly due to the needs of forest management. This legislative change became why it was worth making a scientific balance of potential gains and losses. Corticolous lichens growing at circular sites with a radius of 150 m around lungwort host-trees, divided into three zones R=50 m, R=51-100 m, R=101-150 m, were selected as the biological group for verification. Beech ( Fagus sylvatica ) and sycamore ( Acer pseudoplatanus ) trees with DBH ≥40 cm, randomly located along the target azimuths of 0°, 120°, and 240°, were selected for the study at 15 sites located in the Polish Carpathians (Gorce and Bieszczady Mts). The research hypothesis was that the size of the L. pulmonaria protection zone in the Polish Carpathians is important for the conservation of a greater diversity of corticolous lichens. Based on the list of species, we assessed the statistical significance of differences in diversity indices between the zones and between the Gorce and Bieszczady sites, which was justified by the result of the DCA analysis. Both the total number of species and old-growth forest, legally protected and endangered species in Poland (categories EN, CR) were analyzed. Generally, the current protection zone with a radius of 50 m protects approx. 70% of all epiphytic lichen diversity and the same share of other investigated groups, while increasing the protection zone to R=100 m saves almost 90% of species representing these groups of lichens.

Bats frequently inhabit caves and other subterranean habitats and play a critical role in subterranean food webs. With escalating threats to subterranean ecosystems, identifying the most effective measures to protect subterranean‐roosting bats is critical. We conducted a meta‐analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation and management interventions for subterranean‐roosting bats. We used network analyses to determine to what extent interventions for bats overlap those used for other subterranean taxa. We conducted our analyses with data extracted from 345 papers recommending a total of 910 conservation interventions. Gating of roost entrances was applied to preserve bat populations in 21 studies, but its effectiveness was unclear. Habitat restoration and disturbance reduction positively affected bat populations and bat behavior, respectively, in ≤4 studies. Decontamination was assessed in 2 studies and positively affected bat populations, particularly in studies focused on reducing fungal spores associated with white‐nose syndrome in North America. Monitoring of bat populations as an effective conservation strategy was unclear and infrequently tested. Only 4% of bat studies simultaneously considered other subterranean organisms. However, effective interventions for bat conservation had similarities with all other organisms. If other subterranean organisms are considered when applying interventions to conserve bats, they might also benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity is threatened due to land-use change, overexploitation, pollution, and anthropogenic climate change, altering ecosystem functioning around the globe. Protecting areas rich in biodiversity is often difficult without fully understanding and mapping species' ecological niche requirements. As a result, the umbrella species concept is often applied, whereby conservation of a surrogate species is used to indirectly protect species that occupy similar ecological communities. One such species is the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), which has been used as an umbrella to conserve other species within the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem. Sagebrush-steppe ecosystems within the United States have experienced drastic loss, fragmentation, and degradation of remaining habitat, threatening sagebrush-dependent fauna, resulting in west-wide conservation efforts to protect sage-grouse habitats, and presumably other sagebrush wildlife. We evaluated the effectiveness of the greater sage-grouse umbrella to conserve biodiversity using data-driven spatial occupancy and abundance models for seven sagebrush-dependent (obligate or associated) species across the greater Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA) area (345,300 km2) and assessed overlap with predicted sage-grouse occurrence. Predicted sage-grouse habitat from empirical models only partially (39–58%) captured habitats identified by predicted occurrence models for three sagebrush-obligate songbirds and 60% of biodiversity hotspots (richness of 4–6 species). Sage-grouse priority areas for conservation only captured 59% of model-predicted sage-grouse habitat, and only slightly fewer (56%) biodiversity hotspots. We suggest that the greater sage-grouse habitats may be partially effective as an umbrella for the conservation of sagebrush-dependent species within the sagebrush biome, and management actions aiming to conserve biodiversity should directly consider the explicit mapping of resource requirements for other taxonomic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frog population declines have already been observed in the central Amazon even for common species that are considered not to be in danger of extinction. The Amazon is close to its limit of tolerated deforestation, and parts of the forest have already been modified by climate change, which raises questions about how the fauna in these areas would adapt to climate changes by the middle and the end of this century. In this study we used population density data on seven species of Amazonian frogs and analyzed the relationship between the activity of these species and temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity. We also used the least-squares method with logarithmic models to assess whether climate change projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) would be an indicator of the population dynamics of these species. Our results suggest that even common species may be may experience population declines and extinction in the next decades due to climate changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater wetlands and their biodiversity have suffered substantial losses globally, mainly due to the drainage of wetlands for agriculture. Recent studies suggest that small drainage and/or irrigation canals established in lowland areas can function both as partial replacement of wetlands lost and as biodiversity hotspots in agricultural landscapes. However, small canals are usually not protected or managed for biodiversity. We studied whether and how the timing of reed management (removal in winter, in spring, no removal) on small canals affects nest site selection and breeding success in Great Reed Warblers, Acrocephalus arundinaceus, a flagship species of small canals in an intensive agricultural landscape in a five-year quasi-experiment. We found significantly more nests in winter-managed than in non-managed canal sections and hardly any in spring-managed sections. The number of nests also increased with the proportion of reed removed and with reed density. Breeding success measured as the probability of fledging chicks was positively influenced by reed density only and was not affected by management type, nesting height, water depth and water level fluctuation. Reed density had a central role as it mediated the effect of management both on nest site selection and breeding success, likely through better concealment of the nests from predators. Our results suggest that winter management should be favored as much as possible in the conservation of Great Reed Warblers and other reed-nesting passerines, whereas spring management should be avoided as it results in a complete lack of reed or poorly grown reed unsuitable for nest-building by the start of the breeding season. Our study draws attention to the importance of proper management of small canals that can serve as local hotspots of biodiversity in heavily human-modified landscapes, and which thus deserve more conservation attention than they currently have.

Agricultural commodity production is one the main drivers of deforestation in Legal Brazilian Amazonia resulting in a deforested and/or fragmented landscape formed by forest remnants of different sizes and shape embedded within the agricultural matrix. As an ecosystem engineer and a crucial seed predator, white‐lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) play a pivotal role in forest structure, biodiversity, and nutrient cycling. However, they are highly sensitive to habitat fragmentation and hunting pressure. White‐lipped peccaries are, therefore, a wide‐ranging "landscape species," the spatial and ecological requirements of which can be used to guide conservation planning in human‐modified landscapes. Using data from GPS‐tracked individuals in large‐scale mechanized agriculture landscapes in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil's largest soybean and maize producer, we investiated the home range size and resource selection during both the crop and non‐crop season. We observed a seasonal variation in home range size and an increased selection for croplands during the crop season. White‐lipped peccaries favored native vegetation patches and also exhibited avoidance of locations distant from perennial water bodies and distant cropland locations far from forest remmants. This study can contribute to inform effective conservation strategies and land management practices aimed at preserving suitable habitats and promoting wildlife coexistence with working agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of habitat management guidelines for golden‐winged warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera) is believed to benefit additional species. To address widespread population declines of the golden‐winged warbler, species‐specific best management practices were developed and are guiding habitat‐based conservation programs across the species' breeding range. To date, thousands of hectares of golden‐winged warbler nesting habitat have been created across portions of the Appalachian Mountains and Great Lakes regions in the United States. The American woodcock (Scolopax minor) is expected to benefit from this habitat management. The woodcock has been declining for decades (0.84%/year in the eastern United States) largely because of loss of early successional communities like those required by the golden‐winged warbler. We examined the extent to which habitat management targeting golden‐winged warblers contributes to American woodcock conservation goals across a broad geographic extent. Additionally, we assessed various site‐ and landscape‐level factors to elucidate the context dependencies associated with successful conservation outcomes for this non‐target species. From 2015 to 2017, we conducted 1,554 American woodcock surveys at 774 unique locations treated with golden‐winged warbler best management practices across the Great Lakes and Appalachian Mountains. Woodcock density was 0.84–1.24 males/ha in the Great Lakes region and 0.30 males/ha in the Appalachian Mountains. Density was also dependent upon within‐stand conditions (e.g., basal area, woody regeneration) and landscape features (e.g., wetland cover, mixed forest cover), the latter of which yielded strong geographic heterogeneity in woodcock densities. American woodcock can benefit from habitat management targeting the golden‐winged warbler, but the extent of these benefits is influenced by regional, landscape, and within‐stand contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Agricultural commodity production is one the main drivers of deforestation in Legal Brazilian Amazonia resulting in a deforested and/or fragmented landscape formed by forest remnants of different sizes and shape embedded within the agricultural matrix. As an ecosystem engineer and a crucial seed predator, white‐lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) play a pivotal role in forest structure, biodiversity, and nutrient cycling. However, they are highly sensitive to habitat fragmentation and hunting pressure. White‐lipped peccaries are, therefore, a wide‐ranging “landscape species,” the spatial and ecological requirements of which can be used to guide conservation planning in human‐modified landscapes. Using data from GPS‐tracked individuals in large‐scale mechanized agriculture landscapes in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil's largest soybean and maize producer, we investiated the home range size and resource selection during both the crop and non‐crop season. We observed a seasonal variation in home range size and an increased selection for croplands during the crop season. White‐lipped peccaries favored native vegetation patches and also exhibited avoidance of locations distant from perennial water bodies and distant cropland locations far from forest remmants. This study can contribute to inform effective conservation strategies and land management practices aimed at preserving suitable habitats and promoting wildlife coexistence with working agricultural landscapes.

Genomic data are not yet widely used in insect conservation practice. Here, with a focus on butterflies, we aim to identify the strengths, limitations and remaining gaps between the fields of population genomics and insect conservation management. Based on a literature search complemented with expert opinion, we discuss avenues for translating research into practice.We found that current genomic methodologies available for insect management enhance the assessment of cryptic diversity and facilitate the inference of historical population trends (temporal monitoring) by using even degraded material from historical collections.Discovering and tracking adaptive genetic variation linked to increased survival and fitness is a relatively young research field, but we highlight it as a promising tool in future insect management actions.We highlight recent case studies where population genomics have guided butterfly conservation. One conclusion from our advice from our non‐exhaustive survey of expert opinion is to establish meaningful partnerships between researchers and practitioners, starting at the stage of project planning. Genomics is an informative tool for securing legal protection of unique populations and may offer guidance in future conservation translocations and captive breeding programmes.Although insect conservation usually targets habitats, genomic guidance focusing on populations of flagship and umbrella taxa is a straightforward path to connect species‐specific and habitat conservation initiatives. We conclude that there is urgency in reporting insect conservation actions guided by genomic data, both successful and unsuccessful. This will lead to constructive feedback between fields and the establishment of standardised methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat management through distribution tracking of umbrella species has been used to improve urban ecosystem health and sustainability to enhance the life quality of citizens. However, there are practical limitations to the application of habitat distribution analysis methods applied to urban ecosystems due to human disturbance. Considering additional habitat suitability information of prey species, the prediction of habitat reflecting complex urban environmental characteristics would be improved in Suwon city, South Korea. The habitat probability of Strigidae, which is an umbrella species of Suwon city, and prey species is predicted using the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model. We determined whether the inclusion of prey species habitat probability in that of Strigidae can improve the prediction as well as has the same effect for a Eurasian hobby (Falco Subbuteo) like Strigidae. The performance of MaxEnt was improved when not only environmental variables but also prey species habitat probability is added. When the presence information was sampled by the k-fold method, the probability of detection of surveyed points was improved by 1.38 times. Our results indicate that prey species information is important to both Strigidae and the Eurasian hobby. Therefore, using prey species habitat information can improve the reliability of habitat analysis by supplementing information and reflect complex urban ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The concept of flagship species plays a vital role in biodiversity conservation. In order to establish a technical route for selecting flagship species and strengthen the application of the concept of flagship species in biodiversity conservation at the local scale, we selected birds as a target group and conducted a study on selecting flagship species in Lishui, Zhejiang Province, China. Through the analytic hierarchy process-entropy weight method (AHP-EM) and the MaxEnt model, 10 bird species were selected as the flagship species of Lishui, and a further analysis showed that these 10 species were fully representative of birds of Lishui and that their distribution covered the main protected areas in Lishui. It is hoped that the selection method of flagship species detailed in this study can provide a reference and promote a biodiversity conservation level for other regions. The concept of flagship species is widely used in conservation biology. Flagship birds play a key role in raising conservation funds, increasing awareness of biodiversity conservation, and maintaining ecosystem services. This study selected flagship bird species in Lishui, Zhejiang Province, China, and assessed their conservation effectiveness and ability to serve as umbrella species. A regional bird survey program from 2019–2022 recorded 361 bird species in Lishui. This study constructed a framework of flagship species selection based on social, ecological, economic, and cultural criteria. The analytic hierarchy process-entropy weight method (AHP-EM) was used to rank the score of 361 bird species, and the MaxEnt model was used to analyze the suitable distribution areas of these species. Finally, 10 species, which covered the distribution sites of all 361 bird species, were selected as the flagship species of Lishui. The distribution areas covered all the nature reserves and the priority areas of biodiversity of Lishui, in which these 10 species can also serve as umbrella species to protect local biodiversity. The methodology and ideas in this study could provide insights into the application of conservation concepts at the local level, as well as suggest possible recommendations for local governments to select flagship species for conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Steep declines in North American rangeland biodiversity have prompted researchers and managers to use umbrella species as a tool to manage diverse suites of co-occurring wildlife, but efficacy of this method has been variable. Evaluation of prairie and shrubland grouse as umbrellas is typically restricted to observed overlap between umbrella and background species, but this approach does not distinguish between overlap due to ubiquity or niche overlap. Objectives: We demonstrate a novel application of neutral landscape models (NLMs) to test the effectiveness of greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) as an umbrella species for grassland songbirds at a grassland-sagebrush ecotone in northeastern Wyoming, USA. Methods: We leveraged existing spatial data representing sage-grouse habitat in two distinct seasons (nesting and late brood-rearing) and density and distribution of eight grassland songbirds. We applied a permutation-based analysis using NLMs to determine whether overlap between background species and greater sage-grouse was greater than expected by chance. Results: Three species (western meadowlark Sturnella neglecta, loggerhead shrike Lanius ludovicianus, and lark bunting Calamospiza melanocorys) had greater overlap than expected with at least one type of greater sage-grouse habitat, while western kingbirds (Tyrannus verticalis) indicated avoidance of all sage-grouse habitat assessed. Conclusions: NLMs provided a more nuanced evaluation of the umbrella species concept than previously available and allowed us to differentiate between overlap due to ubiquity (e.g., vesper sparrow; Pooecetes gramineus) rather than overlap in habitat use. All grassland passerine species with greater than expected overlap with sage-grouse habitat either nest in sagebrush (loggerhead shrike) or often select nest locations underneath small shrubs (western meadowlark, lark bunting). These results indicate that nesting substrate is a potential niche axis to consider when evaluating the umbrella species concept, especially within sagebrush-grassland ecotones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionConnected landscapes can increase the effectiveness of protected areas by facilitating individual movement and gene flow between populations, thereby increasing the persistence of species even in fragmented habitats. Connectivity planning is often based on modeling connectivity for a limited number of species, i.e., “connectivity umbrellas”, which serve as surrogates for co-occurring species. Connectivity umbrellas are usually selected a priori, based on a few life history traits and often without evaluating other species.MethodsWe developed a quantitative method to identify connectivity umbrellas at multiple scales. We demonstrate the approach on the terrestrial large mammal community (24 species) in continental Europe at two scales: 13 geographic biomes and 36 ecoregions, and evaluate the interaction of landscape characteristics on the selection of connectivity umbrellas.ResultsWe show that the number, identity, and attributes of connectivity umbrellas are sensitive to spatial scale and human influence on the landscape. Multiple species were selected as connectivity umbrellas in 92% of the geographic biomes (average of 4.15 species) and 83% of the ecoregions (average of 3.16 species). None of the 24 species evaluated is by itself an effective connectivity umbrella across its entire range. We identified significant interactions between species and landscape attributes. Species selected as connectivity umbrellas in regions with low human influence have higher mean body mass, larger home ranges, longer dispersal distances, smaller geographic ranges, occur at lower population densities, and are of higher conservation concern than connectivity umbrellas in more human-influenced regions. More species are required to meet connectivity targets in regions with high human influence (average of three species) in comparison to regions with low human influence (average of 1.67 species).DiscussionWe conclude that multiple species selected in relation to landscape scale and characteristics are essential to meet connectivity goals. Our approach enhances objectivity in selecting which and how many species are required for connectivity conservation and fosters well-informed decisions, that in turn benefit entire communities and ecosystems.

Biodiversity is threatened due to land-use change, overexploitation, pollution, and anthropogenic climate change, altering ecosystem functioning around the globe. Protecting areas rich in biodiversity is often difficult without fully understanding and mapping species’ ecological niche requirements. As a result, the umbrella species concept is often applied, whereby conservation of a surrogate species is used to indirectly protect species that occupy similar ecological communities. One such species is the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), which has been used as an umbrella to conserve other species within the sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem. Sagebrush-steppe ecosystems within the United States have experienced drastic loss, fragmentation, and degradation of remaining habitat, threatening sagebrush-dependent fauna, resulting in west-wide conservation efforts to protect sage-grouse habitats, and presumably other sagebrush wildlife. We evaluated the effectiveness of the greater sage-grouse umbrella to conserve biodiversity using data-driven spatial occupancy and abundance models for seven sagebrush-dependent (obligate or associated) species across the greater Wyoming Basins Ecoregional Assessment (WBEA) area (345,300 km2) and assessed overlap with predicted sage-grouse occurrence. Predicted sage-grouse habitat from empirical models only partially (39–58%) captured habitats identified by predicted occurrence models for three sagebrush-obligate songbirds and 60% of biodiversity hotspots (richness of 4–6 species). Sage-grouse priority areas for conservation only captured 59% of model-predicted sage-grouse habitat, and only slightly fewer (56%) biodiversity hotspots. We suggest that the greater sage-grouse habitats may be partially effective as an umbrella for the conservation of sagebrush-dependent species within the sagebrush biome, and management actions aiming to conserve biodiversity should directly consider the explicit mapping of resource requirements for other taxonomic groups.

IntroductionConservation research plays an integral role in the effort to conserve biodiversity globally. However, research gaps can limit conservation research’s potential contribution to addressing global biodiversity problems such as habitat fragmentation. While a synthesis of the research literature does not attain effective conservation action by itself, it can inform future research and corridor conservation planning and practices.MethodsWe used a systematic search of peer-reviewed research articles in Scopus, Web of Science, and grey literature in the Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group library published before December 2020. Our review assessed research on the identification and use of corridors, a primary instrument used to address the threats of habitat fragmentation, for large carnivores to identify patterns, priorities, and gaps in the literature. We focused on large carnivores because they are frequently used for connectivity planning owing to their higher sensitivity to habitat fragmentation and their importance as conservation flagship species.Results and discussionWe found that peer-reviewed studies primarily focused on single-species corridors with a strong preference toward apex predators, whereas grey literature focused on multi-species corridors. More than 80% of studies included one of the following five species, the mountain lion (n=46 studies), American black bear (n=31 studies), jaguar (n=25 studies), tiger (n=25 studies), and brown bear (n=18 studies). Although research on the identification of corridors was relatively more common in the past, we found an increasing trend in the publication of studies assessing the use of corridors by large carnivores in recent years. The published research is predominantly from North America (47%) and Asia (30%), with comparatively fewer studies from Africa (4%), despite having several large carnivore species. While climate change and human-wildlife conflict are considered major concerns for large carnivore conservation, these were seldomly considered in corridor research. Corridor research collaborations exist between academia, government, and non-government institutions, but the involvement of the private sector is lacking.ConclusionsOur review shows that there is scope for future corridor research to (i) focus on areas where geographical gaps exist, (ii) target multi-species corridors, (iii) include climate change and human-wildlife conflict scenarios, and iv) increase collaboration with the private sector to better inform connectivity solutions.

Migratory shorebirds are currently at significant risk, with populations of multiple species dropping globally, often due to habitat disruption and loss. The coast of northern Brazil, along the states of Pará and Maranhão, encompasses one of the broadest expanses of shorebird overwintering habitat for many shorebird species in the Atlantic Americas Flyway. Delineating how current management protects shorebird habitat is an important first step to identifying gaps in protections that then need to be prioritized. Different frameworks of conservation decision-making, such as focusing on flagship, umbrella, or biodiversity, can be used to prioritize what habitat needs to be protected. Understanding the effects of these different conservation perspectives is key to making informed management decisions. Multiple dates of Landsat 8 imagery at different tidal stages were used to identify intertidal habitats for further analysis. MaxEnt species distribution models were derived for each species using remote sensing and landscape metrics, as well as point-count survey data collected during the winters of 2016 and 2017. Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 image data were included as direct inputs to the model rather than interpreted and mapped first into different habitat types. The resulting Maxent models successfully delineated between presence and absence locations for five of the eight target shorebird species. The model outputs were combined to map the intertidal habitat covered under several different management scenarios. These scenarios included using red knots as a flagship species, semipalmated sandpipers as an umbrella species, and species richness as a metric of shorebird diversity. Slightly more than 25% of delineated intertidal habitat was found to be included within a designated Marine Extractive Reserve, with three major gaps in current protections identified. The flagship, umbrella, and biodiversity perspectives result in different prioritizations of these distinct locations. While umbrella and diversity approaches are successful at protecting diverse communities, community assemblages of rarer or specialist species, such as the red knots, may fall outside their protective shadows. A hybrid approach that uses both diversity and the extent of rare flagship species produces results that best meet the management goals of identifying gaps in existing conservation to protect the most at-risk species while conserving the diverse assemblages they coexist with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anecdotal and quantitative evidence of the Cougar's (Puma concolor) ability to swim across large bodies of water remains limited in the scientific literature. Here we report a 1.1-km swim by a dispersing male Cougar from the Olympic Peninsula to Squaxin Island in Puget Sound, Washington. We then predict the total number of islands in the Salish Sea that may be accessible to Cougars via swimming, using this Cougar's movement as a potential upper threshold distance, and present sightings records from islands in the Salish Sea to confirm or refute our results. We estimated that 3808 of 6153 islands in the Salish Sea could be accessible to Cougars with ≥1 or more 1.1-km swims, and we confirmed Cougar presence on 18 of those islands. Four islands with confirmed sightings required swims closer to 2 km. Increasing the threshold distance to 2 km yielded an additional 775 potentially accessible islands, including the 4 not captured by the 1.1-km threshold. Cougars are an umbrella species used to identify wildlife corridors across their range. We believe that improving our understanding of Cougar swimming abilities will aid us in determining the extent of habitat connectivity existing in the Pacific Northwest, where current habitat fragmentation characteristic of the Anthropocene may threaten Cougar metapopulation connectivity important to maintaining genetic health of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Assessing the biodiversity of a site is challenging, as a comprehensive survey of all plant and animal species is usually intractable due to limited resources. There is great interest in finding groups of organisms that may serve as proxies for the total biodiversity of a site. Numerous taxa have been proposed and utilized for rapid biodiversity assessments that allow for such a survey in a matter of weeks or less. Herein, we test the idea that nocturnal moths have many of the characteristics that make them ideal for such surveys. We demonstrate that even in a few hours of sampling during single night surveys, moth communities are predictive of regional forest types at sampling sites in New Jersey. An ordination method, known as non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analyses, revealed that moth communities differ significantly across the four forest types that we assessed. We used Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) R tests to quantify the degree of differentiation among moth communities, and found that the moth families Tortricidae and Geometridae predict forest communities nearly as well as the total moth diversity. Uncommon species were better predictors than common species. Host plant generalists were better predictors than specialists, which was a surprising find. Biodiversity conservation decisions are typically based on limited data and resources. For this reason, there is great interest in surveying taxa that may allow for a rapid assessment of the biodiversity at a site. Numerous taxa have been proposed and utilized for rapid assessments that allow for such a survey in a matter of weeks or less. Herein, we test the idea that nocturnal moths have many of the characteristics that make them ideal for such surveys, such as relative ease of identification, strong ecological association with specific plant species and habitats, high alpha diversity, extended seasonal activity, and ease of trapping. We demonstrate that even in a few hours of sampling during single night surveys, moth communities are predictive of regional forest types at sampling sites in New Jersey. We sampled moths in five different forest habitats in New Jersey, USA: Pine Barrens, Upland Deciduous Forest, Palustrine Deciduous Forest, Maritime Forest, and Ruderal/Disturbed Forests, at four sites per forest type. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analyses revealed that moth communities differ significantly across these four forest types (p < 0.01). We used Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) R tests to quantify the degree of differentiation among moth communities, and found that Tortricidae (R = 0.657) and Geometridae (R = 0.637) predict forest communities nearly as well as the total moth diversity (R = 0.668). Uncommon species (R = 0.665) were better predictors than common species (R = 0.500). Host plant generalists (R = 0.654) were better predictors than specialists (0.538), which was a surprising find. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neotropical freshwater habitats are particularly sensitive to degradation by human activity. Piscivorous semi‐aquatic freshwater megafauna inhabit both the terrestrial and aquatic mediums and thus may be good indicators of wetland habitat quality. However, the drivers of their space use at the terrestrial and aquatic landscape levels are not well understood. We studied the spatial behavior and habitat use of giant otters in Madre de Dios, Peru, inhabiting areas with variable levels of protection. We combined unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and satellite images to develop different terrestrial and water‐associated land cover variables. We tested the influence of these predictors on giant otter habitat use at multiple spatial scales, comparing used and available locations. Giant otters favored bank areas with dense forest canopy cover. In the aquatic medium, giant otters showed positive selection for open water and fallen logs and avoided floating vegetation. These findings may be explained by preference for optimal fish habitat to maximize foraging yield and bank areas that provide more cover from predators and higher quality denning locations. Variables developed from UAV images outperformed satellite‐derived variables. Despite recent signs of deforestation in lake banks in unprotected areas, spatial model predictions indicated that unprotected oxbow lakes did not differ in their habitat suitability from protected freshwater habitats. Management implications of our findings include identification of factors driving habitat suitability to guide policy and decisions regarding protection or restoration of oxbow lake ecosystems to support giant otter populations. In addition, we demonstrate that UAVs have value in complementing satellite‐derived images and providing a cost‐effective methodology to assess habitat quality for semi‐aquatic species at the land‐water interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Neotropical freshwater habitats are particularly sensitive to degradation by human activity. Piscivorous semi‐aquatic freshwater megafauna inhabit both the terrestrial and aquatic mediums and thus may be good indicators of wetland habitat quality. However, the drivers of their space use at the terrestrial and aquatic landscape levels are not well understood. We studied the spatial behavior and habitat use of giant otters in Madre de Dios, Peru, inhabiting areas with variable levels of protection. We combined unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and satellite images to develop different terrestrial and water‐associated land cover variables. We tested the influence of these predictors on giant otter habitat use at multiple spatial scales, comparing used and available locations. Giant otters favored bank areas with dense forest canopy cover. In the aquatic medium, giant otters showed positive selection for open water and fallen logs and avoided floating vegetation. These findings may be explained by preference for optimal fish habitat to maximize foraging yield and bank areas that provide more cover from predators and higher quality denning locations. Variables developed from UAV images outperformed satellite‐derived variables. Despite recent signs of deforestation in lake banks in unprotected areas, spatial model predictions indicated that unprotected oxbow lakes did not differ in their habitat suitability from protected freshwater habitats. Management implications of our findings include identification of factors driving habitat suitability to guide policy and decisions regarding protection or restoration of oxbow lake ecosystems to support giant otter populations. In addition, we demonstrate that UAVs have value in complementing satellite‐derived images and providing a cost‐effective methodology to assess habitat quality for semi‐aquatic species at the land‐water interface.

Identifying efficient biodiversity indicators is a key pillar of the global conservation strategy. Top predators have been proposed as reliable biodiversity signposts, but their role is controversial. Here, we verified their performance by a meta‐analysis of published studies and found solid support for their efficacy as biodiversity indicators. As to be expected for any indicator species, efficacy was stronger for biodiversity components 'ecologically closer' to the predator (i.e. broad groups that include species providing key resources, such as avian and tree diversity for a bird‐eating predator that nests in trees) and declined for the diversity of components more 'ecologically remote' from the predator (e.g. butterfly diversity for a fish‐eating predator). This confirmed a link between the top predatory role and biodiversity and set the context for its functionality. These results show that, on average, top predators are justified candidates as biodiversity indicators and that prioritisation of conservation action based on their occurrence is likely to provide broader ecosystem benefits. However, such role should be confirmed on a case‐by‐case basis, acknowledging that no indicator can portray everything, checking the compatibility of the biodiversity components linked to the predator with the established conservation objectives and ideally integrating predators with other complementary indicator groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dragonfly Leucorrhinia pectoralis was recorded in Slovakia at 38 sites in 112 findings and there were 707 imagoes. Reproduction was confirmed in seven sites by finding of 35 larvae and exuviae. The highest number of sites with the occurrence of L. pectoralis is located in the Záhorská nížina lowland; most sites in Slovakia are located at an altitude of 213–351 m. L. pectoralis was recorded together with 49 species of dragonflies, and the average number of L. pectoralis was 9.56 individuals per site. It occurs in the communities as a dominant species (9.5%) together with eudominants Coenagrion puella, C. hastulatum and Libellula quadrimaculata. By non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), we found a coenotic correlation to peat species Libellula quadrimaculata, Leucorrhinia rubicunda, L. dubia and Sympetrum danae. By redundancy linear analysis (RDA), we found a Monte Carlo permutation test to make a non-random contribution to the explained variability of seven factors (p = 0.012–0.034). L. pectoralis statistically significantly prefers habitats in the forest landscape (r = 0.62, p = 0.0063), the presence of vegetation (r = 0.94, p = 0.0003) and peatbogs (r = 0.61, p = 0.0058). We did not confirm a significant correlation to altitude. Based on easy determination, territoriality (especially males) and bioindicative sensitivity of larvae, L. pectoralis is accepted as an umbrella species. L. pectoralis has a high dispersion potential and is suitable for creating the meta-population character of local populations, which is important for the conservation management of the species.

The umbrella species concept is a frequently used concept in conservation since the conservation of an umbrella species may benefit other species. Keystone species are often suggested as potential umbrella species, but the validity of this approach remains uncertain. Moreover, climate change can have a multidirectional effect on the distribution of species, in which the distribution of umbrella species can be affected differently than that of beneficiary species. The validity of applying the umbrella species concept in conservation may thus be jeopardised by climate change. This study assessed the potential of two keystone species, the plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) and the Daurian pika (Ochotona dauurica), to be umbrella species for 13 potentially beneficiary species under current and future environmental conditions. Of these 13 species, five currently only co-occur with the plateau pika, five only with the Daurian pika, and three with both pika species. Current and future distributions of the pika species and potentially beneficiary species were predicted using bioclimatic and land-use variables. Range overlaps, Pearson correlations, niche similarity tests and relative suitability tests were performed to assess the umbrella potential of both pika species. Our results show that at present, both pika species may be considered to be umbrella species, benefitting several co-occurring species. However, species that currently co-occur with both pika species will not benefit from conservation of either of the pikas in the future years under climate change scenarios. The plateau pika loses its potential to act as umbrella species for two of the four species which currently may benefit. We can conclude that keystone species like pikas can act as umbrella species for carefully selected potentially beneficiary species under current conditions. Due to climate change related shifts in species distributions, they may however lose their umbrella species status in the future, which should be considered when selecting species conservation strategies.

Conservation efforts often focus on a single species, but this approach is inefficient for agencies dealing with many declining species at risk of extinction. Leveraging already-funded management for additional species can help stretch limited resources to conserve more biodiversity. However, evaluation of the efficacy of such an umbrella approach is typically lacking, does not explicitly consider outcomes of management treatments, or only evaluates one or a few species. We developed a method to evaluate the ability of management for the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) to offer an umbrella of protection for non-target species at risk of decline. To accomplish this, we predicted the conservation outcomes of lesser prairie-chicken management for overlapping at-risk species and created an index of conservation benefit to evaluate the effectiveness of the lesser prairie-chicken as an umbrella species for conservation. We conducted a literature review for 77 at-risk species that overlap in range with the lesser prairie-chicken to determine the effects (benefit, cost, or neutral) of the primary conservation actions taken to manage lesser prairie-chicken habitat. We determined that 84 % of the species were expected to receive a net conservation benefit from management for lesser prairie-chicken, 8 % would incur a net cost, and 8 % would have a net balance of costs and benefits. These results suggest that the lesser prairie-chicken functions as an umbrella of protection for other grassland species, providing a net conservation benefit. Our index-based approach serves as a model for evaluating the efficacy of proposed surrogate species on a community of organisms.

The worldwide decline of seabird populations due to the combined effects of global and regional changes is creating immense challenges for managers and conservationists. Predicting population responses to proposed management strategies could provide the most effective tools to prevent, halt and reverse ongoing declines. System dynamic modelling frameworks are considered particularly relevant to interrelate biological, ecological and environmental characteristics and to predict population trends. A system dynamics model was designed, compiling diverse information concerning a relict population of the European Shag located in western Iberia, to outline the most effective management options for its conservation. The simulations demonstrate that mortality caused by invasive animals and bycatch mortality were the main reasons for the current population decline. Without management interventions, a decrease of 8% was projected for the next decade, which could be mitigated by specific conservation actions. The results show the usefulness of dynamic modelling frameworks to understand local cause‐effect relationships and species responses to ecosystem management under changing environmental conditions. We highlight that the framework proposed, after specific parameterization, could be easily adaptable to other species within similar socio‐ecological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of flagship species is widely used in conservation biology. Flagship birds play a key role in raising conservation funds, increasing awareness of biodiversity conservation, and maintaining ecosystem services. This study selected flagship bird species in Lishui, Zhejiang Province, China, and assessed their conservation effectiveness and ability to serve as umbrella species. A regional bird survey program from 2019–2022 recorded 361 bird species in Lishui. This study constructed a framework of flagship species selection based on social, ecological, economic, and cultural criteria. The analytic hierarchy process-entropy weight method (AHP-EM) was used to rank the score of 361 bird species, and the MaxEnt model was used to analyze the suitable distribution areas of these species. Finally, 10 species, which covered the distribution sites of all 361 bird species, were selected as the flagship species of Lishui. The distribution areas covered all the nature reserves and the priority areas of biodiversity of Lishui, in which these 10 species can also serve as umbrella species to protect local biodiversity. The methodology and ideas in this study could provide insights into the application of conservation concepts at the local level, as well as suggest possible recommendations for local governments to select flagship species for conservation.

Conservation programs often aim to protect the abundance of individual species and biodiversity simultaneously. We quantified relations between amphipod densities and aquatic macrophyte (large plants and algae) diversity to test a hypothesis that biodiversity can support high abundance of a single taxonomic group. Amphipods (Gammarus lacustris and Hyalella azteca) are key forage for waterfowl and are declining in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America. We sampled a large gradient of amphipod densities (0–7050 amphipods/m3) in 49 semi-permanent wetlands, and 50% of the study wetlands had high amphipod densities (> 500 amphipods/m3). Generalized linear models revealed G. lacustris and H. azteca densities increased exponentially with macrophyte diversity indices. Further, H. azteca densities were greatest at moderate levels of submersed vegetation biomass. Community analyses showed both amphipod species were positively associated with diverse macrophyte assemblages and negatively associated with high coverage of cattails (Typha spp.), a taxon that creates monotypic stands, as well as bladderwort (Utricularia spp.), a carnivorous plant. Our results indicate that amphipods could be used as an umbrella species for protecting diverse macrophyte communities in semi-permanent and permanent wetlands of North America's Prairie Pothole Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birds that inhabit open lands such as grasslands and shrublands are rapidly declining across North America. A common practice for multi‐species management is to focus on umbrella species whose habitat requirements overlap with several other species. We evaluated whether the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; bobwhite) could serve as an umbrella species for open‐land birds in Ohio, USA. We related landscape metrics to abundance patterns and assessed whether bobwhite occupancy positively predicts presence of open‐land birds. We combined bird survey data from the second Ohio Breeding Bird Atlas (2006–2011) with land cover data from the 2011 National Land Cover Database (Homer et al. 2015) to construct single‐season N‐mixture models to identify landscape metrics that influence bobwhite abundance. Bobwhite abundance was positively predicted by forest cohesion, percent agriculture, percent barren, and percent grassland. Of the 34 focal species, bobwhites were a significant positive predictor for 12, and a significant negative predictor for 10. The model with only bobwhite occupancy probability as a predictor was the best supported model for only willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii). These results suggest that bobwhite land cover type requirements are too specialized to meet the needs of broader species guilds, instead affording protection for a narrower range of individual species that share specific habitat requirements with bobwhites. Management for bobwhites may still be able to promote co‐occurrence for declining species across multiple guilds by identifying locations where focused management can create more suitable conditions for species with positive co‐occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migratory shorebirds are currently at significant risk, with populations of multiple species dropping globally, often due to habitat disruption and loss. The coast of northern Brazil, along the states of Pará and Maranhão, encompasses one of the broadest expanses of shorebird overwintering habitat for many shorebird species in the Atlantic Americas Flyway. Delineating how current management protects shorebird habitat is an important first step to identifying gaps in protections that then need to be prioritized. Different frameworks of conservation decision-making, such as focusing on flagship, umbrella, or biodiversity, can be used to prioritize what habitat needs to be protected. Understanding the effects of these different conservation perspectives is key to making informed management decisions. Multiple dates of Landsat 8 imagery at different tidal stages were used to identify intertidal habitats for further analysis. MaxEnt species distribution models were derived for each species using remote sensing and landscape metrics, as well as point-count survey data collected during the winters of 2016 and 2017. Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 image data were included as direct inputs to the model rather than interpreted and mapped first into different habitat types. The resulting Maxent models successfully delineated between presence and absence locations for five of the eight target shorebird species. The model outputs were combined to map the intertidal habitat covered under several different management scenarios. These scenarios included using red knots as a flagship species, semipalmated sandpipers as an umbrella species, and species richness as a metric of shorebird diversity. Slightly more than 25% of delineated intertidal habitat was found to be included within a designated Marine Extractive Reserve, with three major gaps in current protections identified. The flagship, umbrella, and biodiversity perspectives result in different prioritizations of these distinct locations. While umbrella and diversity approaches are successful at protecting diverse communities, community assemblages of rarer or specialist species, such as the red knots, may fall outside their protective shadows. A hybrid approach that uses both diversity and the extent of rare flagship species produces results that best meet the management goals of identifying gaps in existing conservation to protect the most at-risk species while conserving the diverse assemblages they coexist with.

Biodiversity conservation decisions are typically based on limited data and resources. For this reason, there is great interest in surveying taxa that may allow for a rapid assessment of the biodiversity at a site. Numerous taxa have been proposed and utilized for rapid assessments that allow for such a survey in a matter of weeks or less. Herein, we test the idea that nocturnal moths have many of the characteristics that make them ideal for such surveys, such as relative ease of identification, strong ecological association with specific plant species and habitats, high alpha diversity, extended seasonal activity, and ease of trapping. We demonstrate that even in a few hours of sampling during single night surveys, moth communities are predictive of regional forest types at sampling sites in New Jersey. We sampled moths in five different forest habitats in New Jersey, USA: Pine Barrens, Upland Deciduous Forest, Palustrine Deciduous Forest, Maritime Forest, and Ruderal/Disturbed Forests, at four sites per forest type. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analyses revealed that moth communities differ significantly across these four forest types (p < 0.01). We used Analysis of Similarity (ANOSIM) R tests to quantify the degree of differentiation among moth communities, and found that Tortricidae (R = 0.657) and Geometridae (R = 0.637) predict forest communities nearly as well as the total moth diversity (R = 0.668). Uncommon species (R = 0.665) were better predictors than common species (R = 0.500). Host plant generalists (R = 0.654) were better predictors than specialists (0.538), which was a surprising find.

Protecting habitats for charismatic vertebrates can provide an 'umbrella' for less conspicuous organisms, especially when these are threatened by the same processes. However, such a conservation scheme is vulnerable to the extirpation of the focal species. We studied wider biodiversity values in long protected black stork (Ciconia nigra) nest sites, which were abandoned by the bird and thus legally subject to de-listing. In 20 abandoned nest sites in Estonia, we (i) mapped breeding birds within 600 m from the stork nest, and (ii) carried out time-limited surveys of lichens, polypore fungi, vascular plants and bryophytes in 2-ha plots. The breeding bird assemblages (64 species recorded) included 19 red-listed species, and showed no clear aggregation to the immediate surroundings of the stork nest. We recorded 740 plant and fungal species, of which 134 (18%) were of conservation concern (nationally protected, red-listed or extremely rare). Across the 2-ha plots, the numbers of the species of conservation concern varied more than three-fold (maximum 42 species), being affected notably by dead wood accumulation over time and presence of nemoral broad-leaved trees. The results demonstrate that many abandoned nest sites of the black stork have broader biodiversity significance, both due to the bird's habitat requirements and the natural development during the protection. Expanding the umbrella function to sites abandoned by a focal species, but intact from anthropogenic degradation, can thus be a cost-effective conservation approach due to its low additional administrative burden. In most jurisdictions, the assessment procedure for such situations should be formalized, however. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

African vulture populations are rapidly declining, yet funding and other resources available for their conservation are limited. Improving our understanding of which African vulture species could best serve as an umbrella species for the entire suite of African vultures could help conservationists save time, money, and resources by focusing their efforts on a single vulture species. Furthermore, improving our understanding of the suitability of African vultures as biomonitors for detecting environmental toxins could help conservation authorities to detect changes in ecosystem health. We used a systematic approach based on criteria selected a priori to objectively evaluate the potential of each of the 10 resident African vulture species as (i) an umbrella species for all of the African vulture species, and (ii) an avian biomonitor. For each criterion, we scored the respective African vulture species and summed the scores to determine which species was best suited as an umbrella species and as an avian biomonitor. Our results showed that, overall, certain aspects of vulture ecology (large population sizes, large body sizes, long lifespans, and their ability to be monitored over numerous seasons) support their suitability as biomonitors, while other ecological traits, including their diets and the public's perceptions of vultures, could diminish their suitability. The White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus) was the best fit of the 10 vulture species in our assessment as both an avian biomonitor and an umbrella species for all African vulture species. Meanwhile, significant knowledge gaps for other species inhibit their utility as biomonitors. Due to their large home-range sizes, African vultures may only be useful as biomonitors at a regional scale. However, there could be value in using the White-backed Vulture as an umbrella species, as an aid to conserve the entire suite of African vulture species.

Agricultural intensification promoted by the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has driven the decline of farmland and steppe bird populations. Policy tools to improve the environmental performance of the CAP—including Agri‐Environmental Schemes (AES) and Greening—have often failed, and the new EU agricultural reform (CAP post‐2020) offers a new opportunity to integrate effective measures addressing farmland bird declines. Fallow land and its management have proven beneficial for endangered steppe bird species by providing good quality habitat, and therefore has potential to become an effective conservation measure.We used a Hierarchical Distance Sampling community model to evaluate the ability of different conservation regimes to increase the abundance of 37 bird species including endangered steppe birds and other farmland birds in 13,309 ha of fallow land in north‐eastern Spain. The conservation regimes were based on different management prescriptions associated with AES, Greening and a local conservation measure promoting extensive fallow management targeting seven steppe bird species (Targeted Fallow Management, TFM).The positive effect of conservation measures increased as their design was more targeted to specific species. TFM increased the abundance of target and other farmland species, while AES and Greening had either no effect or negative effects on bird abundance, respectively. Effects of other Greening conservation measures related to landscape heterogeneity such as crop richness and field size were variable across the community.Policy implications. The success of Targeted Fallow Management as a conservation tool—in contrast to Agri‐Environmental Schemes and Greening—highlights the value of applying 1–2 agricultural practices just before the breeding season in fallows situated in optimal locations for target steppe bird species, to increase the abundance of these and other farmland bird species. We translate our findings into specific guidelines that we recommend including within the new eco‐schemes and AES present in the CAP post‐2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing popularity of using single species as surrogates for biodiversity, conservation interventions for a single taxon do not always benefit other species within the community. Using a suite of multiple focal species, together, may better guide management that benefits entire ecological communities. Here, we provide the first empirical evaluations of community-level outcomes of two real-world management programs structured around focal species. Specifically, we assess the extent to which forest management intended to benefit a pair of imperiled songbird species, the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) and the Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea), provides benefits to non-target forest bird species in the eastern United States. Using data from 803 sites surveyed over seven years across three central Appalachian states, we demonstrate that silvicultural treatments designed to benefit the two focal species also increased occupancy probabilities for 25 of 64 non-focal species, including 6 of 25 species identified as high-priority for the regions. Focal-species treatments also on average supported 4–7 more bird species per point than reference unmanaged, mature forests. Only 4 of 64 species were found to have lower occupancy probability in treated forests. These results provide evidence that forest management for Golden-winged and Cerulean Warblers provides meaningful co-benefits to other species in the central Appalachians and thus support use of multiple focal species to efficiently conserve a larger proportion of the avian community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Inland wetlands are crucial for biodiversity conservation, especially in highly-urbanized landscapes. In the European Union, many wetlands are included in the EU ‘Natura 2000’ network, the main tool for biodiversity conservation over the continent, which requires the development of site-specific management plans. Clear and feasible recommendations are necessary to provide site managers with effective tools for the maintenance of biodiversity in these unstable environments. Birds are excellent umbrella species, therefore a management targeted at increasing habitat suitability for focal bird species would likely benefit broader wetland biological communities. Methods During spring–summer 2017, we collected presence/absence data for 10 bird species of conservation interest at a site scale for 21 Natura 2000 sites. We also carried out a point count survey to detect presence/absence of four reedbed-dwelling species at 75 points. At the site level, we estimated landscape characteristics from regional GIS-layers, whereas fine-scaled habitat composition was recorded on the field within a 100 m-buffer around the 75 points. We analysed the effect of the extent of different habitats on species’ occurrence probability by means of multi-species binomial multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) at both scales. We also run species-specific MARS models to compare their performance with those of multi-species models. Results At the site scale, the extent of the reedbeds/mires was positively associated with the occurrence of all species of conservation concern. At the point-count scale, reedbed extent positively predicted species’ occurrence, but only in presence of patches of clear shallow water. Species-specific MARS models showed qualitatively similar results for some species, but generally were outperformed by multi-species ones. Conclusions Multi-species MARS models confirmed to be an efficient tool in disclosing species-habitat relationships even for set of species including scarce taxa and when only short-term monitoring data are available. In terms of conservation measures, our findings stress the importance of Phragmites australis reedbed as a key habitat for avian biodiversity, but only when it is flooded and interspersed with scattered patches of open water. The preservation of wide (> 100/150 ha) and flooded reedbeds structured in spots of no less than 2 ha emerges as the main conservation measure for the long-term conservation of the threatened avifauna of inland pre-Alpine wetlands.