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Oceanic islands are particularly vulnerable to the global decline of biological diversity, suffering disproportionally large losses of endemic species. A primary tool for mitigating species loss is the establishment of protected area networks. The 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework target calls for the protection of 30% of Earth’s land surface by 2030. This study identifies areas within the Tropical Important Plant Areas network of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), to better inform the expansion of the current protected area network with the objective of conserving the BVI’s unique flora. We identified and applied conservation targets for five threatened habitats and 34 species of conservation concern, including four endemic to the BVI. A total of 5,248 georeferenced plant records for the 34 species collected through decades of collaborative work between the National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands and the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, along with the distribution of five threatened habitats were used within the decision support system MARXAN to identify four spatial portfolios to guide the expansion of the BVI’s current protected area network. Highlighting the need to expand the current (2007–2017) Protected Areas System Plan in the BVI, we found that the current Plan only covers 15% of terrestrial land and does not meet the conservation targets for plants and habitats. The portfolios identified in our analysis efficiently expand the current Protected Areas System Plan to strategically expand coverage for all conservation features, with two main portfolios reaching all defined conservation targets for protection. Notably, to evaluate options not requiring land purchase, we extracted areas within state-owned Crown land from two main identified portfolios and found that the two Crown land-portfolios could protect 28% and 23% of the BVI, respectively, while meeting the targets for most plants of conservation concern. However, to reach 30% land protection and meet the conservation targets for all plant species, including endemics, private land would need to be considered for this inclusion within the protected area network. Our results provide science-based guidance for the selection of candidate protected area expansion sites that include threatened plants and habitats for reaching the 2030 Biodiversity Framework targets. While systematic conservation planning can provide guidance on protected area expansion, it is important to evaluate and prioritise conservation actions, based on multiple solutions and available resources. We recommend similar approaches are applied more broadly throughout the Caribbean and other archipelagos across the world.

The first study results on the Chironomidae fauna of central Namibia (Khomas, Otjozondjupa and Hardap regions) are presented, based on morphology and DNA-barcoding. The preliminary investigation led to the discovery of a new species Paraphaenocladius namibiae sp. nov. (Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae) and 17 new country records for Namibia.

Abstract The current state of global biodiversity is confronted with escalating threats arising from human-induced environmental changes and a growing array of unpredictable challenges. However, effective conservation efforts are often hindered by limited knowledge, especially in developing economies such as the Philippines. The limitations imposed by these shortfalls in biodiversity knowledge hamper the capacity to protect biodiversity in light of the continuing extinction crisis. Our study revealed that areas with higher conflict levels exhibited lower species richness, fewer occurrence records, and reduced forest cover. This finding provides initial evidence for the relationship between sociopolitical conflict and biodiversity in the Philippines. We posit that the security risks caused by sociopolitical conflicts could have a negative impact on conservation efforts, particularly in terms of monitoring and implementing measures to protect natural resources. The links that bind armed conflict and biodiversity conservation are multifaceted and complex issues that warrant greater scientific and political attention. Finally, we identified 10 meaningful approaches to address shortfalls in biodiversity knowledge in conflicted areas, particularly incorporating conflict-sensitive approaches, considering the geopolitical context and conflict dynamics to adapt and align their strategies with local realities for more effective conservation efforts.

Abstract Approximately 1.8 million metric tonnes of honey are produced globally every year. The key source behind this output, the honey bee (Apis mellifera), works tirelessly to create the delicious condiment that is consumed worldwide. The honey that finds its way into jars on store shelves contains a myriad of information about its biogeographical origins, such as the bees that produced it, the botanical constituents, and traces of other organisms or pathogens that have come in contact with the product or its producer. With the ongoing threat of honey bee decline and overall global biodiversity loss, access to ecological information has become an key factor in preventing the loss of species. This review delves into the various molecular techniques developed to characterize the collective DNA harnessed within honey samples, and how it can be used to elucidate the ecological interactions between honey bees and the environment. We also explore how these DNA-based methods can be used for large-scale biogeographical studies through the environmental DNA collected by foraging honey bees. Further development of these techniques can assist in the conservation of biodiversity by detecting ecosystem perturbations, with the potential to be expanded towards other critical flying pollinators.

Management of invasive alien plants is an increasing problem throughout the world. In some cases native rare or protected species can appear or even prefer habitats dominated by invasive alien plants, which raises questions about the optimal treatment of such areas. Erythronium dens-canis in Hungary is a protected species which only have several occurrences in the country and a number of these populations situated in Robinia pseudoacacia stands developed after harvesting native forests. In this study a total of five populations of E. dens-canis were surveyed between 2020 and 2022 in southwestern Hungary examining and comparing the ongoing demographic changes under native and Robinia stands by monitoring individual plants. Two populations were situated in forests composed of native tree species, two in Robinia pseudoacacia-dominated stands and one in a Robinia-native tree species mixed stand. We categorized the plants into five age-state categories: dormant, seedling, juvenile, vegetative adult, and reproductive adult. We found some considerable differences (e.g. leaf size, reproduction rate) between the populations situated in native and in Robinia stands, whereas the population in mixed forest showed intermediate character in most examined factors. Based on our results, R. pseudoacacia have a significant effect on the phenology and life history of E. dens-canis, and this effect is greater with higher proportion of R. pseudoacacia in a forest stand where the E. dens-canis occurs.

An important factor in the decline of global animal diversity is road traffic, where many animals are killed. This study aimed to collect data on vertebrate roadkill in the city of Vienna, Austria, between 2017 and 2022 using three different approaches: citizen science, systematic monitoring by bicycle along a 15 km route, and systematic monitoring on foot along a 3 km route. During 359 monitoring events, only four roadkill incidences (three Erinaceus sp., one Rattus sp.) were found by bicycle or on foot. At the same time citizen scientists reported 1 roadkill squirrel on the bicycle route and 84 roadkill incidences for the entire city area. Hedgehogs and urban birds were commonly reported species by citizen scientists. Although no amphibian or reptile roadkill was found during systematic monitoring, they were reported by citizen scientists. The low number of roadkill incidences found suggests a potentially low population density that makes the impact of roadkill even more severe – a hypothesis that should be further investigated amidst the global decline in biodiversity.

Abstract The Convention on Biological Biodiversity (CBD) exists as a major multilateral environmental agreement to safeguard biodiversity and “live in harmony with nature”. To deliver it, strategies and frameworks are set out in regular agreements that are then implemented at the national scale. However, we are not on track to achieve overall goals, and frameworks so far have not been successful. This could be due to unambitious targets, low follow-through on commitments, or desired outcomes for nature not being achieved when action is taken. Here, we focus on national planning and reporting documents from a set of 30% of Parties to the CBD. We found that nearly half of the commitments mentioned in national planning documents did not appear in the Sixth National Reports and that further losses emerged due to measures reported as incomplete or ineffective. There were differences between commitments to each of the Aichi Targets, with more losses in high-profile and “institutionally challenging” Targets. Commitments from Parties in different Human Development Index categories had different outcomes among Targets, and Parties self-identifying as “megadiverse countries” had overall higher rates of reported success. Our results are important for informing the monitoring of commitment implementation in the Kunming-Montreal “global biodiversity package”.

The dramatic loss of biodiversity is caused by the use of resources and land. One strategy aiming at reducing the use of resources and land is sufficiency, which consequently could be a strategy for protecting biodiversity. This article therefore examines the extent to which sufficiency in the context of biodiversity conservation is already being addressed by nature conservation associations and the scientific community. To this end, publications were analysed firstly with regards to the understanding of sufficiency, secondly with regards to the considered links between sufficiency and biodiversity as well as thirdly with regards to the considered fields of action. The systematic identification and evaluation of scientific publications (for the years 2017–2021) and publications by German and international nature conservation associations shows that few publications address the link between sufficiency and biodiversity. And when they do, the link often remains unspecific. Possible reasons are that sufficiency potentially has broader political implications, that the term is not descriptive and that other terms are used to describe similar strategies. Other potential explanations are that several framings for the need for sufficiency are possible and that linking sufficiency and biodiversity requires interdisciplinarity. Drawing on the results and the discussion, an argument in favour of using the term ‘sufficiency’ and further research is presented. Moreover, a sufficiency typology is developed and questions are raised that could form the basis for future research on linking biodiversity conservation and the various aspects of sufficiency.

Increasing agricultural intensification, combined with land transformation and fragmentation, poses significant threats to biodiversity. While extensively cultivated landscapes serve as vital refuges against biodiversity loss, they are modified by land abandonment and intensification. Orchard meadows in Central Europe represent traditional extensive land management systems, exhibiting high biodiversity. Comprising cultivated grasslands and scattered fruit trees, orchard meadows feature structures rich in different habitats supporting a diverse flora and fauna. However, their decreasing economic importance in recent decades has resulted in severe degradation or abandonment. Despite their importance for biodiversity conservation, there remains no comprehensive overview of orchard meadow biodiversity and management in Central Europe. This review aims to summarize existing knowledge on orchard meadows’ role in biodiversity conservation and the effects of management practices on habitat diversity and quality at both smaller (structure and microhabitats, local scale) and larger scales (surrounding landscape, regional scale). The first part focuses on orchard meadow biodiversity, including both plants and animals and their link to landscape-scale factors. Biodiversity in orchard meadows is predominantly affected by patch size, determining species richness and composition, and connectivity to neighbouring orchard meadows, influencing species migration and recolonization success. The second part evaluates management impacts, illustrating differences in the benefits of mowing versus grazing across taxonomic groups. An intermediate management intensity for orchard meadows determines their conservation value in terms of species composition, varying among different taxonomic groups. To prevent area loss and abandonment of orchard meadows, we advocate for political and public support, along with incentives for farmers to maintain their biodiversity.

To execute environmental education effectively, the success and impacts of educational activities must be assessed. In areas of high biodiversity there is generally a lack of evaluation of the impact of environmental education. In this study we investigate the effect of a one-time classroom activity on student knowledge of local environmental issues, environmental attitudes and aspirations. The project was conducted on the island of Maio, Cabo Verde, a small, highly biodiverse island, as part of a classroom visit programme with the local environmental organization, Maio Biodiversity Foundation. We visited every fourth-grade class (i.e. students with an age range of 9–10 years) on the island (a total of 142 students) and delivered a half-day classroom activity. The results show that this activity did not influence environmental attitudes; however, it did significantly improve student knowledge and awareness of local environmental issues. This study shows that environmental education should not be assumed to improve attitudes and knowledge but requires individual evaluation for each type of activity. For environmental education to reach its full potential, activities should be planned in response to evaluation results.

Abstract Rewarewa (Knightia excelsa, Proteaceae) is a tree species endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand, with a natural distribution spanning Te Ika-a-Māui (North Island) and the top of Te Waipounamu (South Island). We used the pseudo-chromosome genome assembly of rewarewa as a reference and whole genome pooled sequencing from 35 populations sampled across Aotearoa New Zealand, including trees growing on Māori-owned land, to identify 1,443,255 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Four genetic clusters located in the northern North Island (NNI), eastern North Island (NIE), western and southern North Island (NIWS), and the South Island (SI) were identified. Gene flow was revealed between the SI and NIE genetic clusters, plus bottleneck and contraction events within the genetic clusters since the mid-late Pleistocene, with divergence between North and South Island clusters estimated to have occurred ~115,000–230,000 years ago. Genotype environment analysis (GEA) was used to identify loci and genes linked with altitude, soil pH, soil carbon, slope, soil size, annual mean temperature, mean diurnal range, isothermality, annual precipitation, and precipitation seasonality. The location of the SNPs associated with these environmental variables was compared with the position of 52,192 gene-coding sequences that were predicted in the rewarewa genome using RNA sequencing. This new understanding of the genetic variation present in rewarewa and insights into the genetic control of adaptive traits will inform efforts to incorporate the species in restoration plantings and for marketing rewarewa honey based on provenance.

Prey noticing predators may turn immobile to avert detection. Such “freezing” is generally thought to precede direct predator–prey contact and thus appears distinct from so-called “post-contact immobility”, or thanatosis. This distinction, however, may be inapplicable if predators lack long-distance senses or monitor their surroundings incompletely. The predatory sandy beach gastropod Agaronia propatula (Olividae) detects its prey, Pachyoliva semistriata of the same family, only when located within centimetres in front of the predator. Pachyoliva therefore reduces its risks by active flight when directly approached by an Agaronia, whereas it freezes to remain undetected when contacting Agaronia from the side. This unexpected “post-contact freezing” suggests that physical contact between prey and predator as such does not always help to distinguish freezing from other types of predator-induced prey immobility and highlights how our interpretations of predator–prey interactions depend critically on our understanding of the sensory capabilities involved.

Abstract Opportunistic plant records provide a rapidly growing source of spatiotemporal plant observation data. Here, we used such data to explore the question whether they can be used to detect changes in species phenologies. Examining 19 herbaceous and one woody plant species in two consecutive years across Europe, we observed significant shifts in their flowering phenology, being more pronounced for spring-flowering species (6-17 days) compared to summer-flowering species (1-6 days). Moreover, we show that these data are suitable to model large-scale relationships such as “Hopkins’ bioclimatic law” which quantifies the phenological delay with increasing elevation, latitude, and longitude. Here, we observe spatial shifts, ranging from –5 to 50 days per 1000 m elevation to latitudinal shifts ranging from –1 to 4 days per degree northwards, and longitudinal shifts ranging from –1 to 1 day per degree eastwards, depending on the species. Our findings show that the increasing volume of purely opportunistic plant observation data already provides reliable phenological information, and therewith can be used to support global, high-resolution phenology monitoring in the face of ongoing climate change.

Protected areas are important for wildlife conservation but they are also used by many local communities for livelihood activities. This often leads to conflicts and erodes the tolerance of local people for wildlife, particularly towards carnivores that prey on livestock. To enhance conservation success and improve the social carrying capacity of carnivores, it is essential to understand the factors influencing such conflicts and the attitudes of people interacting with carnivores. We used structured questionnaire surveys to assess the extent of livestock mortality and community responses to common leopards Panthera pardus in Kishtwar National Park, a relatively understudied protected area in the Greater Himalayan region of India. The mountainous Park and its surroundings have historically served as a haven for the local agro-pastoralists and transhumant pastoralists, resulting in complex human–wildlife interactions across the larger landscape. Our results showed that leopards were responsible for high livestock depredation (71 incidents in 2 years), and households with larger livestock holdings experienced a higher predation rate compared to those with smaller livestock holdings. An ordinal logistic regression model revealed that respondents’ age and period of activity in the Park significantly influenced their opinions regarding leopards. Large losses suffered by otherwise low-income households resulted in more negative attitudes towards these predators. Our study indicates that financial compensation for livestock losses is a key factor in improving human–leopard coexistence. A comprehensive, cross-sector collaborative approach would help to improve conflict resolution and promote favourable attitudes towards these predators.

Feeding by Critically Endangered forest elephants Loxodonta cyclotis in rural plantations is a conservation issue in Gabon, but studies characterizing drivers of spatiotemporal patterns of human–elephant interactions remain sparse, hindering mitigation. In this study, we use GPS tracking data from two elephants to characterize temporal patterns of village visitation, and surveys of 101 local farmers across seven villages to determine local patterns of crop planting and harvesting and of human–elephant interactions. Local farmers' perceptions of elephant visitations and empirical data on such visits were positively correlated with local crop availability. However, considering the two elephants separately revealed that the correlations were driven by just one individual, with the second elephant showing weak links between crop availability and visitation, highlighting the challenges in reliably predicting human–wildlife interactions. The most popular local perceptions of the drivers of elephant visitation were the presence of crops (53% of responses) and logging (39%). The most popular proposed interventions were letting the government find a solution (32%), killing problem elephants (30%) and providing compensation for lost crops (22%). We discuss the potential feasibility and efficacy of the proposed solutions in the context of human–elephant interactions. Future research efforts should focus on collaring elephants in zones with high potential for negative human–elephant interaction and expanding perception surveys to villages with contrasting ecological contexts (e.g. with and without logging in their surrounding forests), as these could influence local perceptions of conflicts and conservation initiatives.

Agricultural intensification has affected wildlife across Europe, triggering steep declines and regional extinctions of farmland birds. Effective conservation activities are essential for the preservation of biodiversity in an agricultural landscape, but current efforts have not succeeded in halting these declines. Here we investigate a ground-nesting shorebird, the collared pratincole Glareola pratincola, which has shifted its habitat use in Central Europe over the last 20 years from alkaline grasslands to intensively managed agricultural fields. We show that nesting success was different between three agricultural habitat types, with the highest nesting success in fallow lands and the lowest in row crops. Nesting success was also associated with the timing of breeding and breeding density, as nests produced early in the breeding season and those in high-breeding-density areas hatched more successfully than those produced later in the season and at low density. We implemented direct conservation measures including marking nests and negotiating with farmers to avoid cultivating the field between nest markers, controlling nest predators and, most recently, creating suitable nesting sites and foraging areas for pratincoles. As a result of these conservation actions, nest survival increased from 11.2% to 83.5% and the size of the breeding population increased from 13 to 56 pairs during 2012–2021. Thus, we show that agricultural landscapes can continue to provide suitable habitats, and targeted conservation actions have the potential to reverse the declines of farmland species.

The expansion of transportation and service corridors has numerous, well-documented adverse effects on wildlife. However, little research on this topic has been translated into mitigating the effects of habitat fragmentation caused by road development on primates. The establishment of canopy bridges has proven to be an effective conservation intervention. Of the completed primate canopy bridge projects reported in the literature, to our knowledge, all attempt to mitigate the impacts caused by singular, linear infrastructure routes. Here we provide recommendations for the establishment of a network of natural and artificial canopy bridges over roads throughout Langkawi Island, Malaysia, to reduce rates of roadkill and support the movement of primates and other arboreal animals across the island by identifying suitable sites and appropriate tree species to be planted (including Ficus racemosa and Ficus fistulosa), bridge materials and post-installation monitoring. The establishment of this pioneering trans-island canopy bridge network could function as a model to enhance connectivity for arboreal animals in other important wildlife habitat sites in Malaysia and beyond that are affected by fragmentation from linear infrastructure. We have begun discussions with relevant authorities, partners and other pertinent parties, focusing on the initiation of construction of the canopy bridge network in 2024.

Predicting future conservation needs can help inform conservation management but is subject to uncertainty. We measured deforestation rates during 2015–2017 for 114 protected areas in Madagascar, linked deforestation to the status of protection according to IUCN categories I–VI, used recent deforestation rates to extrapolate forest cover over 2017–2050 and linked the size of forest blocks to the projected persistence of lemur subpopulations. In the six IUCN categories for protected areas in Madagascar the median size of forest blocks is 9–37 km2 and median annual deforestation rates range from 0.02% in the single IUCN category III site to 0.19% in category II and 1.95% in category VI sites. In 2017, 40% of all forest blocks within protected areas were < 10 km2, and this is projected to increase to 45% in 2050. Apart from these small forest fragments, the modal site of forest blocks was 160–320 km2 in 2017, and this is projected to decrease to 80–160 km2 in 2050. The range of > 50% of all lemur species exclusively contains forest blocks of < 10 km2. The modal size of forest blocks > 10 km2 is predicted to remain at 120 km2 until 2050. Although uncertainty remains, these analyses provide hope that forest blocks within the protected areas of Madagascar will remain large enough to maintain lemur subpopulations for most species until 2050. This should allow sufficient time for the implementation of effective conservation measures.

Area-based conservation is a widely used approach for maintaining biodiversity, and there are ongoing discussions over what is an appropriate global conservation area coverage target. To inform such debates, it is necessary to know the extent and ecological representativeness of the current conservation area network, but this is hampered by gaps in existing global datasets. In particular, although data on privately and community-governed protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures are often available at the national level, it can take many years to incorporate these into official datasets. This suggests a complementary approach is needed based on selecting a sample of countries and using their national-scale datasets to produce more accurate metrics. However, every country added to the sample increases the costs of data collection, collation and analysis. To address this, here we present a data collection framework underpinned by a spatial prioritization algorithm, which identifies a minimum set of countries that are also representative of 10 factors that influence conservation area establishment and biodiversity patterns. We then illustrate this approach by identifying a representative set of sampling units that cover 10% of the terrestrial realm, which included areas in only 25 countries. In contrast, selecting 10% of the terrestrial realm at random included areas across a mean of 162 countries. These sampling units could be the focus of future data collation on different types of conservation area. Analysing these data could produce more rapid and accurate estimates of global conservation area coverage and ecological representativeness, complementing existing international reporting systems.

Population size and geographical range are the key quantitative criteria used by the IUCN to assess the conservation status of a species. However, such information is often incomplete and inconsistent, even for seemingly abundant species. To assess the population and conservation status of Indian primates, we conducted a systematic review of recent research using the searching, appraisal, synthesis and analysis (SALSA) approach. We reviewed a total of 41 studies on Indian primates conducted during the last 2 decades (2000–2021) for information on various parameters that influence their conservation. We found that 20 out of a total of 26 primate species were evaluated for their population status, and the majority of these studies (71%) showed an overall declining population trend. Remarkably, all but one of the studies conducted exclusively within protected areas revealed declining population trends, whereas trends were more variable for primate populations in non-protected areas. Our data indicate that only 27% (n = 7) of Indian primate species have been surveyed or re-surveyed to assess their population status within the last 5 years. Although threats vary in time and space from species to species, 78% of the studies recorded natural system modifications including habitat loss and fragmentation among the main threats to the survival of Indian primates. Most studies on the population status of Indian primates have either been spatially limited or used outdated methods. We recommend that future studies adopt robust techniques to estimate populations and work across larger geographical scales to develop effective management strategies for the conservation of primates in India.

Population density estimation is integral to the effective conservation and management of wildlife. The snow leopard Panthera uncia is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and reliable information on its density is a prerequisite for its conservation and management. Little is known about the status of the snow leopard in the central and eastern Qilian Mountains, China. To address this, we estimated the population density of the snow leopard using a spatially explicit capture–recapture model based on camera trapping in Machang in the central and eastern Qilian Mountains during January–March 2019. We set up 40 camera traps and recorded 84 separate snow leopard captures over 3,024 trap-days. We identified 18 individual snow leopards and estimated their density to be 2.26/100 km2. Our study provides baseline information on the snow leopard and the first population estimate for the species in the central and eastern Qilian Mountains.

The success of translocation as a management tool is based on reversing the factors that led to a population becoming threatened or locally extinct. We assessed whether translocating a jaguar Panthera onca into the surroundings of a protected area in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest with a resident jaguar population was effective. We captured a male jaguar in an urban area where there were no substantiated previous records of jaguars. In the capture area only one predation event had been recorded, when the jaguar killed several chickens a few days before capture. After capture we translocated the jaguar to a forested area 240 km from the capture site, adjacent to the Rio Doce State Park. To investigate whether the potential geographical origin of the individual was any nearby fragment of the Atlantic Forest or nearby fragments of the Cerrado ecoregion, we genotyped it for 12 microsatellite loci and compared the results to a database developed previously. We fitted the jaguar with a GPS/VHF collar from which we recovered 2.5 months of data. Post-release monitoring with camera traps indicated the jaguar established residence within the region of the Park and we recorded no events of predation on livestock. The genetic analysis indicated that the jaguar resembled individuals from the Inner Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Amazon. Translocation was an important tool for avoiding potentially negative interactions between the jaguar and local people, and may have benefitted the jaguar population at the release site.

Species–environment relationships are often studied at large spatial scales, but effective conservation requires an understanding of local-scale environmental drivers and pressures. Widespread degradation and fragmentation of forests have increased the proportion of tropical mammal habitat that is affected by edge effects. Edge effects include greater exposure to anthropogenic disturbance and abiotic changes that synergistically influence how well populations can cope with climate change. We investigated relationships between distance to the forest edge, forest structure, microclimate and terrestrial mammal detections in a selectively logged forest at the boundary of Gunung Leuser National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia. We collected mammal detection data from motion-activated camera traps, microclimate data from automated climate data loggers and forest structure data from vegetation plots. Daily mean and maximum temperatures significantly decreased with distance from the forest edge, whereas tree height and minimum temperature increased. Mammal diversity was lower at the forest edge compared to the interior. Mammals were detected less frequently at the forest edge, although this relationship varied between mammal orders. Mammal detections were best explained by temperature, tree height and tree diameter at breast height. These results demonstrate that abiotic changes in forests brought on by edge effects have negative impacts on mammals, but these effects vary between mammal taxa because of differing sensitivities to human disturbance. Our findings highlight the importance of considering local-scale environmental drivers in determining species–environment relationships to identify key habitat features such as microclimate refuges that should be prioritized in ecosystem management.

The persistence of seed-dispersing animals in degraded habitats could be critical for ensuring the long-term conservation value and restoration of forests. This is particularly important in Southeast Asia, where > 70% of the remaining forest areas are within 1 km of a forest edge, and many are degraded (e.g. logged). We synthesized information on the habitat associations of the binturong Arctictis binturong, a large, semi-arboreal, frugivorous civet and one of the most important seed dispersers in the region, especially for figs (Ficus spp). We adopted a multiscale approach by employing ensemble species distribution modelling from presence-only records, assessing landscape-scale variation in detection rates in published camera-trap studies and using hierarchical occupancy modelling to assess local (i.e. within-landscape) patterns observed from 20 new camera-trap surveys. Contrary to prior reports that binturongs are strongly associated with intact forests, the species was equally present in degraded forests and near forest edges where sufficient forest cover was maintained (> 40% forest cover within a 20-km radius). The species also tolerates moderate incursions of oil palm plantations (< 20% of the area within a 20-km radius covered by oil palm plantations). The relative resilience of binturongs to habitat degradation could be in part because of behavioural adaptations towards increased nocturnal activity. These results support the notion that key seed dispersers can persist and maintain their ecological function in degraded forests.

We present the results of two population surveys conducted 10 years apart (December 2010–February 2011 and December 2020–January 2021) of the Critically Endangered white-headed langur Trachypithecus leucocephalus in the Chongzuo White-Headed Langur National Nature Reserve, Guangxi Province, China. In the first survey, we recorded 818 individuals in 105 groups and 16 solitary adult males. In the second survey, we recorded 1,183 individuals in 128 groups and one solitary adult male. As a result of government policies, poaching for food and traditional medicine is no longer a primary threat to these langurs. However, severe forest loss and fragmentation caused by human activities could limit any future increase of this langur population.

Gibbons are often difficult to observe in dense forest habitats using traditional ground-based methods. This makes it challenging to estimate group sizes and, in turn, population sizes. This has proven to be a key constraint on accurate monitoring of the last remaining population of the Critically Endangered cao vit gibbon Nomascus nasutus. However, new technologies are beginning to circumvent the problems associated with traditional methods. We hypothesized that, by using an unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with thermal and standard (RGB) cameras, we could obtain more accurate group size counts than by using ground-based observations, as fewer gibbons would be missed. We tested this during a population survey of the cao vit gibbon, finding that the thermal video footage revealed additional individuals that were not counted by ground-based surveyors. Statistically, there was strong evidence (93% probability) that UAV-derived counts were higher (by 41%) than concurrent ground-based counts. We recorded six primate groups of three species (cao vit gibbon, rhesus macaque Macaca mulatta and Assamese macaque Macaca assamensis), including 24 gibbons across four groups (c. 20% of the global population). The RGB video footage also revealed seven female gibbons, two of which were carrying infants, providing vital group composition data. These data have contributed directly to a more accurate population survey of the species than would have been possible using direct observation only. We anticipate more widespread use of UAVs in the study of gibbons and other threatened species, leading to a more robust evidence base for their conservation.

Anthropogenic activities are negatively affecting the flora and fauna of Madagascar, including its Endangered flagship lemur species, the ring-tailed lemur Lemur catta. Population numbers at some sites are rapidly declining, yet much of the species' habitat is insufficiently surveyed. Because widespread population assessments are critical to guiding conservation management strategies, additional data are needed to monitor L. catta population trends and to identify the limits of their geographical range. Here we report survey results confirming the presence of this species at 65 of 83 sites in southern and south-western Madagascar, including three subpopulations that were previously considered likely to be locally extinct. We identified a minimum of 792 L. catta individuals (summing only maximum group sizes at each site) and as many as 1,221 individuals (using estimated population counts). These findings help refine the distribution of L. catta and reaffirm their presence in areas of their historical geographical range. Identifying species occupancy at sites such as these provides valuable data to support species conservation, but also highlights the need for additional surveys throughout the range of the species.

Abstract Rivers are an important component of the global carbon cycle and contribute to atmospheric carbon exchange disproportionately to their total surface area. Largely, this is because rivers efficiently mobilize, transport and metabolize terrigenous organic matter (OM). Notably, our knowledge about the magnitude of globally relevant carbon fluxes strongly contrasts with our lack of understanding of the underlying processes that transform OM. Ultimately, OM processing en route to the oceans results from a diverse assemblage of consumers interacting with an equally diverse pool of resources in a spatially complex network of heterogeneous riverine habitats. To understand this interaction between consumers and OM, we must therefore account for spatial configuration, connectivity, and landscape context at scales ranging from local ecosystems to entire networks. Building such a spatially explicit framework of fluvial OM processing across scales may also help us to better predict poorly understood anthropogenic impacts on fluvial carbon cycling, for instance human-induced fragmentation and changes to flow regimes, including intermittence. Moreover, this framework must also account for the current unprecedented human-driven loss of biodiversity. This loss is at least partly due to mechanisms operating across spatial scales, such as interference with migration and habitat homogenization, and comes with largely unknown functional consequences. We advocate here for a comprehensive framework for fluvial networks connecting two spatially aware but disparate lines of research on (i) riverine metacommunities and biodiversity, and (ii) the biogeochemistry of rivers and their contribution to the global carbon cycle. We argue for a research agenda focusing on the regional scale—that is, of the entire river network—to enable a deeper mechanistic understanding of naturally arising biodiversity–ecosystem functioning coupling as a major driver of biogeochemically relevant riverine carbon fluxes.

Abstract Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is a promising tool for monitoring marine biodiversity, but remains underutilised in Africa. In this study, we evaluated the ability of aquatic eDNA metabarcoding as a tool for detecting biodiversity associated with a South African kelp forest, an ecosystem that harbours high diversity of species, many of which are endemic, but are also sensitive to changing environmental conditions and anthropogenic pressures. Using fine-scale spatial (1 m and 8 m) and temporal (every four hours for 24 h) sampling of aquatic environmental DNA and targeting two gene regions (mtDNA COI and 12S rRNA), metabarcoding detected 880 OTUs representing 75 families in the broader metazoan community with 44 OTUs representing 24 fish families. We show extensive variability in the eDNA signal across space and time and did not recover significant spatio-temporal structure in OTU richness and community assemblages. Metabarcoding detected a broad range of taxonomic groups, including arthropods, ascidians, cnidarians, echinoderms, ctenophores, molluscs, polychaetes, ichthyofauna and sponges, as well as Placozoa, previously not reported from South Africa. Fewer than 3% of OTUs could be identified to species level using available databases (COI = 19 OTUs, 12S = 11 OTUs). Our study emphasizes that kelp-forest associated biodiversity in South Africa is understudied, but that with careful consideration for sampling design in combination with increased barcoding efforts and the construction of regional databases, eDNA metabarcoding will become a powerful biomonitoring tool of kelp-forest associated biodiversity.

Ropalidia chromis sp. nov. is described from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is characterized by a mixture of morphological features present in two large species groups of that genus, suggesting a separate phylogenetic lineage.

The Spotted Softshell Turtle (Pelodiscus variegatus) has been recognised since 2019 from Vietnam and Hainan Island, China, but little information about its population status and distribution range is currently available. The species has been provisionally listed as Critically Endangered by the Turtle and Tortoise Working Group, although the status has not been officially accepted by the IUCN, due to the threats the species is facing, including habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation for food, competition with other non-native softshell turtles and pollution. To identify conservation priority sites for P. variegatus in mainland Indochina, this study combines molecular analyses and species distribution modelling. Our results show that, in Vietnam, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park has the largest suitable area and high probability of species occurrence, followed by Vu Quang National Park and Song Thanh and Ke Go Nature Reserves. In addition, the central provinces, from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien Hue in Vietnam, constitute a key part of the species distribution and should be prioritised for conservation actions. According to the study’s findings, although P. variegatus is possibly found in Laos, the probability decreases sharply at the border between both countries and there is also a gap in the occurrence of wetlands, arguing for strong natural barriers. Unfortunately, to date, only part of the species potential distribution is protected, while no records are known from protected areas, highlighting the need for extended or even new reserves. To recover natural populations of the species and following the IUCN’s One Plan Approach to Conservation, breeding programmes have been established in Vietnam with a potential to expand to other facilities in the country and abroad. Once suitable sites are identified, offspring can be released into the protected areas to improve the current conservation status of this highly-threatened softshell turtle.

Deforestation and land-use change affect ecosystem processes such as carbon cycling. Here, we present results from a litter decomposition experiment in six natural and six disturbed vegetation types along an elevation gradient of 3600 m on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We exposed litter bags with a standard material for up to 12 weeks each in two seasons. In the cold wet season we sampled the full elevation gradient and in the warm wet season we repeated the sampling in the lower part of the elevation gradient. Though we found significantly negative effects of disturbance in forest ecosystems, this was only due to differences between natural and burned Podocarpus forests. Disturbance characterized by a more open vegetation structure in many of the studied vegetation types had no general effect when we studied the full elevation gradient; this also included non-forest vegetation types. Land-use intensity had a significant negative effect on decomposition rates but only in the warm wet season, not in the cold wet season. Temperature and humidity were the most important drivers of decomposition overall and for all subsets of vegetation types and seasons. Our study shows that negative effects of disturbance or land-use intensity on decomposition depended on the severity of disturbance and on the season. Nevertheless, climate was generally the most relevant driver of decomposition. Therefore, vegetation types with moderate levels of disturbance can retain high functionality in regards to carbon cycling over short periods of time. More and longer decomposition studies are necessary to better predict consequences of land-use change for carbon cycling in the Afrotropics.

A review of published evidence indicates that Bactricia nematodes Kirby, 1894 is a nomen nudum because it is an unavailable name. The specimen collected during the Lund University Swedish South African Expedition and reported by this name is a male of Bactricia bituberculata (Schaum, 1857).

This study focuses on the development of the landscape during a period of significant social changes in Central Europe from the middle of the 20th century, and evaluates the impact of the selected natural factors on landscape dynamics in the Snohy dispersed settlement area (cadaster of Hriňová, Slovakia). During the periods of feudalism and the democratic Czechoslovak Republic after 1918, private ownership of land prevailed on the territory of Slovakia. After 1948, in the period of the socialist establishment, the municipality was one of the few localities without collectivisation. We focused on the state and changes to the landscape structure based on remote sensing data analysis (1949, 2003, and 2018), as well as field research and archive photographs inspection. The study area is a part of the proposed Special Area of Conservation SKUEV4026 Meadows of Poľana and is situated near the border between the transition and buffer zones of the Poľana Biosphere Reserve. The state of land cover and its changes have been evaluated using a CORINE Land Cover modification at the 5th level. Results showed that the influence of the slope on agricultural extensification, deforestation, and afforestation, was the most pronounced. Since 1949, more than half of the land cover has changed across the study area. The most extensive changes were recorded in the spatial structure and composition of forest communities.

Recently, studies have shown that highly urbanized areas are numerically dominated by birds with grey plumage, probably favoring camouflage with impervious grey surfaces. However, patterns of bird color diversity in urban green areas remain unexplored. In urban parks, sites surrounded by highly urbanized areas may be dominated by grey bird species, whereas urban parks with pedestrians that feed birds may favor commensal birds which also have grey plumage. Thus, we explore the relationship between environmental variables and bird taxonomic and color diversity in urban parks. Bird surveys were conducted twice by fixed points in urban parks of six cities in central Argentina. Bird color diversity was assessed by characterizing bird plumage coloration in different parts of the bird body and the presence of plumage sexual dimorphism, polymorphism, and iridescence. Then, color richness and color diversity (abundance-based) were calculated with species mean pairwise distance. Null models were used to quantify richness-corrected color diversity. Bird species richness and diversity increased with green-area size, and bird diversity decreased with increasing pedestrian traffic. Color richness decreased with increasing car traffic, whereas color diversity was positively related to green-area size and negatively related to car and pedestrian traffic. Richness-corrected color diversity related negatively to car and pedestrian traffic. The abundance of grey birds increased in parks near the urban centers and related positively to pedestrian and car traffic. The abundance of yellow birds increased in parks near rural areas or small cities. Color diversity increased with green-area size, but richness-corrected color diversity ceased to be related to area size. Therefore, the increase in color diversity with area size was mediated by increases in species richness. Color diversity was clustered in parks with the highest human disturbance, favoring the abundance of grey species which probably took advantage of food discarded by humans.

Agroforestry systems, such as shade coffee plantations, favor the maintenance of woody vegetation, which promotes the presence of pollinators such as hummingbirds. Many shade coffee plantations in Mesoamerica have been abandoned due to the fall in coffee prices and undergone succession processes that increase vegetation complexity. Alternatively, they have been replaced by cattle pastures, which negatively affect hummingbird-plant interactions. Here, we describe the structure of hummingbird-plant interaction networks in three types of land use―late-successional forests, coffee plantations, and cattle pastures―that were derived from a cloud forest in southern Mexico. For one year (2019–2020), we collected bimonthly quantitative data on hummingbird-plant interactions for each type of land use. We found that the network of each land use had a heterogeneous structure, and most species had few linkages. The late forests and coffee plantations had more species, pairs of interactions, and modularity than the cattle pastures. The cattle pasture network had the greatest robustness due to the presence of generalist hummingbirds, which are important for network cohesion in a great disturbance scenario. Furthermore, hummingbird visits were influenced by plant traits, such as foliage height diversity. The study findings suggest that the conversion of natural habitats have implications for the conservation of plant-pollinator interactions and that generalist pollinator species are key to disturbance resiliency.

Brazil can provide ecosystem services, food, and combat climate change-related vulnerabilities. However, this possibility is obliterated by the increasing deforestation in the Brazilian Legal Amazon derived from illegalities and political incentives to a business-as-usual economic development model that clears land for real estate speculation or extensive agro-livestock. Recently, the state governments of Amazonas, Acre, and Rondônia, supported by agro-livestock-related institutions, proposed a zone for economic development in a region of confluence accounting for 23.37% of these states’ total area. Formerly “Sustainable Development Zone between the States of Amazonas, Acre, and Rondônia” (AMACRO), it was renamed to “Abunã-Madeira Sustainable Development Zone (SDZ)” to meet sustainability criteria; however, environmental impact studies regarding its implementation still lack. By integrating land tenure and official deforestation datasets from 2012 to 2022, we assess whether this region is becoming a notable deforestation hotspot. Results showed growing deforestation trends for all land tenure classes, alarmingly in protected areas, since 2018, when the project was announced. Unlike possible economic gains, deforestation in this region affects essential edaphoclimatic conditions for Brazil’s agro-livestock, worsening environmental and socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Effective territorial planning, environmental impact studies, and law enforcement are urgently needed before establishing the zone to avoid a regional hecatomb.

We identified the 30% most-important forest remnants for conservation in the Atlantic Forest domain in South America based on three bird diversity components: (1) overall species potential distribution, (2) potential distribution of threatened species, and (3) diversity of functional traits. We evaluated the extent of overlap among priority areas using the different approaches and analysed the efficiency of the current Protected Areas network at protecting biodiversity in current and potential future (2040 and 2080) climate scenarios. The overlap among the most important areas is low among the different bird diversity components in all climate scenarios, and few changes were found in priority areas between the current and future scenario. The proportion of species that reached the minimum amount of their distribution areas protected varied from zero to 4% depending on the climate scenario and the species conservation status (threatened or not). Priority areas based on the potential distribution of threatened species were less correlated to areas based on the overall species potential distribution than to functional traits in all climate scenarios, suggesting that there might be considerable differences between species composition and their functionalities. Our analyses point out the main regions where resources should be allocated to conservation of birds in a mega-biodiversity region.

Conservation strategies often assume uniform response to habitat loss and fragmentation among species. We investigated whether bird species' responses to habitat changes vary based on their distribution range and local environmental suitability. Additionally, we explored associations between sensitivity responses and species traits, like dispersal ability, habitat specialization, and distribution range size. Our study focused on the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, encompassing 179 landscape sites and 81 bird species. Using additive and interactive relationships and used principal component analysis to correlate species traits with sensitivity patterns. We found four distinct patterns of population sensitivity patterns: no effect of geographical range or environmental suitability (21% of the species), higher sensitivity at the geographical edges or low suitability (14%), lower sensitivity in core or better areas (11%) or both extremes responding similarly (11%), with species showing no response to landscape changes (43%). Biogeographic and landscape factors interactively influenced population abundance, resulting in antagonistic or synergistic effects. Population responses to habitat loss and fragmentation varied based on range position or environmental suitability but weren’t consistently explained by species traits. Given these nuanced results, conservationists must refrain from generalizing species sensitivity without accounting for distribution range position and environmental suitability. To ensure the long-term survival of biodiversity, conservation efforts should be tailored to each species' specific needs, taking into account their spatial position and the synergistic or antagonistic effects of environmental stressors. Such targeted conservation efforts will be crucial in mitigating the impacts of habitat loss and fragmentation on bird populations within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

It is now clear that dry forest regeneration relies on a set of regeneration mechanisms such as seed rain, seed and seedling banks, and resprouts that operate simultaneously, but their relative contribution and drivers remain poorly understood. In this paper, we examined the role of seed rain, seed soil bank, seedling, sapling, and resprout assemblages in the regeneration of a Caatinga dry forest in northeast Brazil. We also examined how these regeneration mechanisms respond to chronic disturbances, rainfall, soil fertility, and light in 18 plots located in old-growth forest stands. A total of 5239 seeds from seed rain, 932 seeds in the soil seed bank, 158 seedlings, 85 saplings and 416 resprouts were recorded. Overall regeneration mechanisms provided low-density and impoverished assemblages when examined isolated. Soil seed bank and seed rain provided up to 423 and 35.5 seeds per m2, respectively. Seedling and sapling assemblages were dominated by a small set of species (mostly Jatropha mutabilis, Pityrocapa moliliformis, and Trischidium molle), which were both frequent and accounted for most of the individuals. Resprouting was the most important mechanism, accounting for 63.1% of all individuals in the seedling, sapling, and resprout assemblages. Chronic disturbances were identified as key drivers, negatively affecting several community-level attributes of seed rain, soil seed bank, seedlings, and resprouts. Soil fertility and leaf area index (i.e., light availability) were negatively related to seedling and sapling abundances, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of environmental factors on regeneration was more pronounced in disturbed areas. Species composition of saplings and resprouts were associated with chronic disturbances and environmental factors. Our results suggest that, in human-modified landscapes, Caatinga forest regeneration relies primarily on resprouting, while other mechanisms play a minor role in plant species recruitment and maintenance along gradients of disturbances and environmental factors. Given the predicted increase in aridity associated with increased human disturbance, the Caatinga dry forest may experience shifts in forest structure and regeneration patterns. We refer to an absolute prevalence of vegetative propagation leading to a low-statured forest dominated by multi-stem individuals, with unknown effects on long-term forest dynamics and resilience, including community-level homogenization.

Ceratophrys ornata is an iconic and regionally threatened amphibian of the temperate grasslands from Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Conservation assessments suggested that habitat loss is the main threat to the species, although no studies have yet explored the link between grassland replacement and C. ornata decline. Using a robust database with ∼1000 records from herpetological collections, citizen science, and long-term monitoring, we modeled the species' ecological niche to produce a map of suitable areas, where we searched for C. ornata using active and passive techniques. After exhaustive efforts, we failed to obtain recent records from Brazil and Uruguay. We also conducted Generalized Linear Models to explore the relationship between land use/cover, landscape configuration, and current species occurrence. Overall, results showed that C. ornata occurrence is negatively associated with variables related to native grasslands fragmentation and replacement (i.e., Distance to the Nearest Patch, Forest Plantations), suggesting that habitat loss may have driven local extinctions and population declines of the species. Finally, we outline the regional and national conservation needs of C. ornata and recommend focusing on in-situ conservation strategies for the Argentinean populations to ensure the species' viability.

A key target for reducing biodiversity loss, outlined in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, is to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 (30×30) in protected areas (PAs) and ‘other effective area-based conservation measures’ (OECMs). There is concern that focusing on expanding PAs could exacerbate existing inequalities and that this may not be a cost-effective means to conserve biodiversity. There is already a lack of funding for existing PAs with many ineffectively managed. OECMs offer a potential solution to reach area-based protection targets in a more economically feasible and equitable way. The focus for 30×30 should be on improving the effectiveness of existing PAs and recognising existing areas that are providing conservation benefits as OECMs.

Theory predicts that susceptibility to disease in ectothermic hosts increases as temperatures depart from host’s thermal optima, because pathogens have functionally broader thermal tolerance ranges and acclimate faster than hosts to shifts in temperature. Hence, hosts adapted to cooler and warmer climates should be at greater risk of infection under abnormally warm and cool conditions, respectively. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a chytrid fungus that affects amphibians worldwide. In Brazil's Atlantic Forest, Bd outbreaks have been linked to numerous declines in amphibian populations, particularly in cooler high elevation areas. Thus, we hypothesize that years with abnormally warm temperatures could shift the balance in favor of the pathogen, thereby driving the historical declines. We also hypothesize that warm-adapted amphibians from lowland sites could experience elevated Bd infection risk during abnormally cold years. To test whether thermal mismatch (elevation vs. temperature anomaly) drove shifts in Bd prevalence through time we compiled a comprehensive database spanning 50 years, gathered across an elevational gradient within the Atlantic Forest. In agreement with our predictions, cool-adapted hosts had higher Bd prevalence when temperatures were higher than historical averages. In parallel, Bd prevalence in warm-adapted hosts was higher in colder-than-average years, although frogs from higher elevations exhibited an overall higher risk of disease due to disproportionally high infection prevalence. Our study links the thermal mismatch hypothesis with historical shifts in Bd prevalence in Brazilian frogs, indicating that Bd infections, modulated by climate change, may continue to have a negative impact on Neotropical amphibians.

The Brazilian Amazon is one of Earth’s most biodiverse and ecologically important regions. However, research investments for biodiversity in the biome are disproportionately low compared with other regions of Brazil. In 2022, the Amazon received 13% of master's, doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships and hosted 11% of all researchers working in biodiversity postgraduate programs. Amazonian institutions received approximately 10% of all federal budget spent on grants and scholarships and about 23% of all resources destined to support long-term ecological sites. The cities of Manaus and Belém concentrate about 90% of all grants and scholarships available for the entire region. Despite per capita research investment in the Amazon being equal to or better than that available for the more economically developed regions of Brazil, the distribution of resources by area is highly unequal. Increasing research funding for the Amazon region requires differential input by federal agencies and more transnational collaborations and integration between Amazonian programs and international funds.

The crescent urbanization across the globe has widespread ecological consequences, affecting species distribution, demography and behaviour. In this study we aimed to identify, quantify, map and predict the occurrences of medium- to large-bodied (≥1 kg) mammal carnivorans across urban and peri-urban landscapes throughout Brazil. We use a news-based search to compose a dataset of occurrences across the Brazilian cities. Additionally, we gather various socio-environmental and geophysical variables from these urban areas to identify the drivers of carnivore presence across urban environments. Employing Kernel interpolation, we generate heatmaps to highlight and pinpoint regions in Brazil with the highest concentration of carnivorans species on urban areas. We also employed a Generalized Additive Models (GAM) approach to assess the predictive power of social-environmental and geophysical variables on the occurrence of carnivorans in urban landscapes of Brazil. Our findings pinpoint to an increase of potential human-wildlife conflicts likely given that the urban expansion over natural habitats had a rampant increase in the last decades. Finally, we highlight that our results can serve as a basis to improve urban planning and offer important insights into the intricate interplay of social and geophysical variables that influence the occurrences of carnivorans within urban environments in Brazil.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is a relatively new technology allowing effective non-invasive analyses and monitoring of biodiversity patterns. Studies on eDNA metabarcoding focus on using sequence data to delimit basic units (i.e., such as Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units – MOTUS – or Amplicon Sequence Variation – ASVs), and after this definition standard analytical approaches from community ecology are applied. However, there is more information inherent to eDNA data and it is now straightforward to use more general approaches in which analyses are based directly on phylogenies or genetic distances between MOTUs or ASVs, rather than in discrete units without any accounting for hierarchical structure, providing a more continuum understanding of biodiversity patterns. Here we briefly review the concepts and methods to incorporate phylogenetic patterns into eDNA metabarcoding analyses, illustrating some of the main issues with eukaryote diversity data along the Araguaia River Basin. Hopefully this perspective stimulates researchers obtaining eDNA metabarcoding data to perform their data under the community phylogenetics framework instead of (or in addition to) the more standard community ecology approach.

Although wildlife trade has received considerable research and conservation attention, much of it has been focused on charismatic species, with taxa such as fungi receiving little or no attention despite being highly sought after. The caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis is highly valued as an ingredient in cosmetics and medicines, and as an aphrodisiac and dietary supplement. Despite its livelihood and socio-economic significance, it has received little attention in either research or wildlife trade policy. Nevertheless, trade appears to be rampant, and growing online, and this is an emerging conservation challenge. Here we present a systematic survey of online trade in the caterpillar fungus during 2021. During this period, 168 advertisements were recorded on eight e-commerce platforms, both national and international. The grade of the caterpillar fungus advertised for sale fell into six categories. Fungi described as pure/organic/wild grade, which we categorized as authentic grade, had the highest median price (24 USD/g) and those described as medicine/food/cosmetic/beverage, which we categorized as consumption grade, had the lowest median price (0.04 USD/g). The highest advertised sale price was for caterpillar fungus of Bhutan origin (155 USD/g) advertised on the eBay e-commerce platform. Trade in caterpillar fungus on national and international online platforms is evident, and trade in other non-charismatic species is also likely burgeoning online but remains poorly documented. Further systematic surveys of online trade are required, not only to improve understanding of such trade but also to facilitate the development of effective conservation interventions and prevent undocumented overexploitation of important natural resources in developing countries.

Commercial use of wildlife is booming. However, knowledge of trade, price structure and benefit distribution mechanisms remain limited for many endemic, threatened and economically valuable species, impeding efforts to develop conservation intervention schemes in line with sustainable objectives. We illustrate the nature of commercialization of the caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis, collected in a high-altitude Tibetan region. Using the value-chain approach, we document how caterpillar fungus is collected in a remote mountainous region and traded across a wide range of middlemen until it finally reaches high-end markets in urban centres. Mapping the caterpillar fungus value chain helps identify the actors involved and the social institutions (i.e. the rules, norms and arrangements that shape people's behaviours) facilitating access to markets and influencing profit distribution and price structure. We present the complex dynamics of this commercialization process, providing a holistic value-chain analysis that encompasses actors, profits and institutions.