Indicators for Assessing Habitat Values and Pressures for Protected Areas—An Integrated Habitat and Land Cover Change Approach for the Udzungwa Mountains National Park in Tanzania

Assessing the status and monitoring the trends of land cover dynamics in and around protected areas is of utmost importance for park managers and decision makers. Moreover, to support the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)’s Strategic Action Plan including the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, such efforts are necessary to set a framework to reach the agreed national, regional or global targets. The integration of land use/cover change (LULCC) data with information on habitats and population density provides the means to assess potential degradation and disturbance resulting from anthropogenic activities such as agriculture and urban area expansion. This study assesses the LULCC over a 20 year (1990–2000–2010) period using freely available Landsat imagery and a dedicated method and toolbox for the Udzungwa Mountains National Park (UMNP) and its surroundings (20 km buffer) in Tanzania. Habitat data gathered from the Digital Observatory for Protected Areas (DOPA)’s eHabitat+ Web service were used to perform ecological stratification of the study area and to develop similarity maps of the potential presence of comparable habitat types outside the protected area. Finally, integration of the habitat similarity maps with the LULCC data was applied in order to evaluate potential pressures on the different habitats within the national park and on the linking corridors between UMNP and other protected areas in the context of wildlife movement and migration. The results show that the UMNP has not suffered from relevant human activities during the study period. The natural vegetation area has remained stable around 1780 km2. In the surrounding 20 km buffer area and the connecting corridors, however, the anthropogenic impact has been strong. Artificially built up areas increased by 14.24% over the last 20 years and the agriculture area increased from 11% in 1990 to 30% in the year 2010. The habitat functional types and the similarity maps confirmed the importance of the buffer zone and the connecting corridors for wildlife movements, while the similarity maps detected other potential corridors for wildlife

Assessing habitat diversity and potential areas of similarity across protected areas globally

Biophysical characterization analyses of protected areas (PA) that provide information on their ecological values and potential areas with similar characteristics are needed to make informed PA network planning and management decisions. This study combines and further develops methodologies that use remote sensing and modelling to identify habitat functional types in PAs and map similar areas at the ecoregion level. The study also develops new terrestrial habitat diversity and irreplaceability indices at habitat and PA scale that allow the comparison and ranking of PAs in terms of biophysical gradients and singular environmental conditions. Six PAs were selected to highlight and discuss the results of the proposed methodology. Both individual and composite indices should be considered when trying to compare PAs to understand the overall complexity and ecological values of each PA. Results can inform planning and management of individual and protected area networks as well as identify new areas for conservation. The information provided by the model about similar habitats outside protected areas can also help assess their representativeness and support studies to strengthen ecological connectivity. Besides systematic comparisons, detailed assessments of protected areas can also be performed using medium and high-resolution input variables. This is especially relevant for protected areas in developing countries where undertaking fieldwork is very difficult and the budget devoted to conservation is limited.European Commission European Commission Joint Research CentreBiodi- versity and Protected Areas Management (BIOPAMA) programme, an initiative of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of StatesMarie Curie Actions CT-EX2020D381533-101Spanish Ministry of Universities and Next Generation European Union fund

The same but different : equally megadiverse but taxonomically variant spider communities along an elevational gradient

Spatial variation in biodiversity is one of the key pieces of information for the delimitation and prioritisation of protected areas. This information is especially important when the protected area includes different climatic and habitat conditions and communities, such as those along elevational gradients. Here we test whether the megadiverse communities of spiders along an elevational gradient change according to two diversity models - a monotonic decrease or a hump-shaped pattern in species richness. We also measure compositional variation along and within elevations, and test the role of the preference of microhabitat (vegetation strata) and the functional (guild) structure of species in the changes. We sampled multiple spider communities using standardised and optimised sampling in three forest types, each at a different elevation along a climatic gradient. The elevational transects were at increasing horizontal distances (between 0.1 and 175 km) in the Udzungwa Mountains, Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania. The number of species was similar between plots and forest types, and therefore the pattern did not match either diversity model. However, species composition changed significantly with a gradual change along elevations. Although the number of species per microhabitat and guild also remained similar across elevations, the number of individuals varied, e.g. at higher elevations low canopy vegetation was inhabited by more spiders, and the spiders belonging to guilds that typically use this microhabitat were more abundant. Our findings reflex the complex effects of habitat-microhabitat interactions on spider communities at the individual, species and guild levels. If we aim to understand and conserve some of the most diverse communities in the world, researchers and managers may need to place more attention to small scale and microhabitat characteristics upon which communities depend.Peer reviewe

Evolutionary history and conservation of the endangered Sanje Mangabey (Cercocebus sanjei) in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania

The Sanje mangabey (Cercocebus sanjei) is a primate species that is endemic to the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania. The species is classified as Endangered due to its putatively declining population size, limited habitat extent, and habitat fragmentation. The species is divided into two populations: one isolated to the Mwanihana forest fragment in the Udzungwa Mountains National Park, and one to the Uzungwa Scarp Nature Reserve forest. The population in Mwanihana is well-protected under National Park regulations, however the Uzungwa Scarp is considerably lesser protected under Nature Reserve regulations. The Sanje mangabey was described in 1979 and studies have been conducted to increase our understanding of the species since, but many knowledge gaps remain. This thesis aimed to address the priority gaps in our understanding to inform conservation action planning. This included conducting the first systematic population survey for the species, and to investigate the genetic diversity and structure of the two populations. Additionally, it has been previously argued whether the Sanje mangabey should be considered at species or subspecies (C. galeritus sanjei) level due to its behavioural similarities to other central/east African Cercocebus mangabeys. Firstly, we developed a novel acoustic survey method for systematically and more effectively surveying the Sanje mangabey. We estimated the total population size to be 3,167 individuals (95% CI: 2,181-4,596) and found a significantly lower group density in the Uzungwa Scarp forest than Mwanihana. Secondly, we estimated the phylogenetic history of the species and unexpectedly found the Sanje mangabey to be an evolutionarily distinct lineage from other Cercocebus mangabeys, diverging 2.17 MYA. Further unexpected results from this study was the designation of the two populations as evolutionarily significant units, having diverged 0.71 MYA. Thirdly, we investigated the phylogeographic structure of the two populations using mitochondrial DNA and found the populations to be significantly differentiated. Further, an ecological niche model combined with a study of the demographic history of each population revealed the populations to have remained stable in recent history, reflective of the environmental stability of the montane forests in the Udzungwa Mountains. Finally, combining life history data with estimated threats to viability for the Sanje mangabey, we estimated loss of habitat to be the greatest threat to each population and therefore conservation recommendations were made based on these results. The results of this thesis will be used to inform conservation management development for the Sanje mangabey within the Mangadrill Conservation Action Plan, with priority placed on the need to increase protection of the evolutionarily significant population in the Uzungwa Scarp forest

Impending extinction crisis of the world's primates: why primates matter

Non-human primates, our closest biological relatives, play important roles in the livelihoods, cultures and religions of many societies, and offer unique insights into human evolution, biology, behavior and the threat of emerging diseases. They are an essential component of tropical biodiversity, contributing to forest regeneration and ecosystem health. Current information shows the existence of 504 species in 79 genera distributed in the Neotropics, mainland Africa, Madagascar, and Asia. Alarmingly, ~60% of primate species are now threatened with extinction and ~75% have declining populations. This situation is the result of escalating anthropogenic pressures on primates and their habitats – mainly global and local market demands leading to extensive habitat loss through the expansion of industrial agriculture, large-scale cattle ranching, logging, oil and gas drilling, mining, dam building, and the construction of new road networks in primate range regions. Other important drivers are increased bushmeat hunting and the illegal trade of primates as pets and primate body parts, along with emerging threats such as climate change and anthroponotic diseases. Often, these pressures act in synergy, exacerbating primate population declines. Given that primate range regions overlap extensively with a large, and rapidly growing, human population characterized by high levels of poverty, global attention is needed immediately to reverse the looming risk of primate extinctions and to attend to local human needs in sustainable ways. Raising global scientific and public awareness of the plight of the world’s primates and the costs of their loss to ecosystem health and human society is imperative

Remote sensing methods for the biophysical characterization of protected areas globally: challenges and opportunities

Protected areas (PAs) are a key strategy to reverse global biodiversity declines, but they are under increasing pressure from anthropogenic activities and concomitant effects. Thus, the heterogeneous landscapes within PAs, containing a number of different habitats and ecosystem types, are in various degrees of disturbance. Characterizing habitats and ecosystems within the global protected area network requires large-scale monitoring over long time scales. This study reviews methods for the biophysical characterization of terrestrial PAs at a global scale by means of remote sensing (RS) and provides further recommendations. To this end, we first discuss the importance of taking into account the structural and functional attributes, as well as integrating a broad spectrum of variables, to account for the different ecosystem and habitat types within PAs, considering examples at local and regional scales. We then discuss potential variables, challenges and limitations of existing global environmental stratifications, as well as the biophysical characterization of PAs, and finally offer some recommendations. Computational and interoperability issues are also discussed, as well as the potential of cloud-based platforms linked to earth observations to support large-scale characterization of PAs. Using RS to characterize PAs globally is a crucial approach to help ensure sustainable development, but it requires further work before such studies are able to inform large-scale conservation actions. This study proposes 14 recommendations in order to improve existing initiatives to biophysically characterize PAs at a global scale

Incorporating costs and processes into systematic conservation planning in a biodiversity hotspot

Given inadequate budgets with which to stem the rapid destruction of biodiversity, conservationists must set clear priorities for action. Systematic Conservation Planning (SCP) is an approach that uses spatially explicit data to identify areas that meet conservation targets efficiently, usually focusing on species’ representation. Only rarely is the long-term persistence of species taken into account and the costs of conservation are usually ignored. I use the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania as a study area to develop novel methods for creating and integrating the necessary data to fill these gaps in a developing country context. These mountains exhibit exceptional biodiversity but are also highly imperilled. I describe the biological data that I assembled for use in a series of SCP analyses. Fine-scale distribution models for species were mapped for over 500 animal and plant species of conservation concern. I then mapped Ecological and Evolutionary Processes (EEPs), which are crucial to species’ persistence and contribute to healthy ecosystem functioning. My analyses show how the inclusion of biological processes can significantly alter priorities when compared to prioritisation using information on species’ presence alone. Despite their importance, EEPs are often excluded from SCP. This is largely due to the difficulties involved in expressing them quantitatively and in optimising reserve networks to represent them at a minimum cost. This reluctance should be challenged, otherwise reserve networks will, over time, lose those elements of biodiversity that they were established to conserve. I also investigate conservation costs. Despite chronic underfunding for conservation and the recognition that funds must be invested wisely, few data on the costs of conservation are available at the spatial scales needed to inform local site management. I present methods for estimating and mapping protected area management costs, wildlife damage cost and the opportunity costs of conservation. Costs are highest in densely populated and cultivated areas, particularly in the north, whereas large areas of the more remote mountain blocs in the south show lower costs. Integrating these data into SCP demonstrates that using real cost data (rather than assuming that cost per unit area is homogenous) alters priorities and increases the efficiency of conservation within the Eastern Arc. Importantly, the efficiency savings realised through using cost, rather than area, to prioritise conservation efforts were found to be most pronounced when budgets were limited so that not all conservation targets could be met

The Digital Observatory for Protected Areas (DOPA) Explorer 1.0

The Digital Observatory for Protected Areas (DOPA) has been developed to support the European Union’s efforts in strengthening our capacity to mobilize and use biodiversity data, information and forecasts so that they are readily accessible to policymakers, managers, experts and other users. Conceived as a set of web based services, DOPA provides a broad set of free and open source tools to assess, monitor and even forecast the state of and pressure on protected areas at local, regional and global scale. DOPA Explorer 1.0 is a web based interface available in four languages (EN, FR, ES, PT) providing simple means to explore the nearly 16,000 protected areas that are at least as large as 100 km2. Distinguishing between terrestrial, marine and mixed protected areas, DOPA Explorer 1.0 can help end users to identify those with most unique ecosystems and species, and assess the pressures they are exposed to because of human development. Recognized by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) as a reference information system, DOPA Explorer is based on the best global data sets available and provides means to rank protected areas at the country and ecoregion levels. Inversely, DOPA Explorer indirectly highlights the protected areas for which information is incomplete. We finally invite the end-users of DOPA to engage with us through the proposed communication platforms to help improve our work to support the safeguarding of biodiversity.JRC.H.5-Land Resources Managemen

The Digital Observatory for Protected Areas (DOPA) Explorer 1.0

The Digital Observatory for Protected Areas (DOPA) has been developed to support the European Union’s efforts in strengthening our capacity to mobilize and use biodiversity data, information and forecasts so that they are readily accessible to policymakers, managers, experts and other users. Conceived as a set of web based services, DOPA provides a broad set of free and open source tools to assess, monitor and even forecast the state of and pressure on protected areas at local, regional and global scale. DOPA Explorer 1.0 is a web based interface available in four languages (EN, FR, ES, PT) providing simple means to explore the nearly 16,000 protected areas that are at least as large as 100 km2. Distinguishing between terrestrial, marine and mixed protected areas, DOPA Explorer 1.0 can help end users to identify those with most unique ecosystems and species, and assess the pressures they are exposed to because of human development. Recognized by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) as a reference information system, DOPA Explorer is based on the best global data sets available and provides means to rank protected areas at the country and ecoregion levels. Inversely, DOPA Explorer indirectly highlights the protected areas for which information is incomplete. We finally invite the end-users of DOPA to engage with us through the proposed communication platforms to help improve our work to support the safeguarding of biodiversity