Spatial ecology and conservation

Introduction to this issue of the journal

The Spatial Econometrics of Elephant Population Change: A Note

While previous research found no other variable than corruption to have a negative impact on (the growth rate of) the African countries' elephant populations, we show that one further significant impact is exerted by what one might call neighbourhood effects. Elephants travel long distances, often crossing borders. Using spatial econometric tools, we find that elephant population changes in one country have a positive impact on elephants in neighbouring countries. Our results have possible policy implications, as they suggest that the spatial clustering of funds and of conservation efforts makes sense if the endangered species move across borders.Elephants; Spatial econometrics; Corruption and ecology

The spatial ecology of Mediterranean marine turtles: insights from stable isotope analysis, satellite telemetry, and environmental observations

Understanding the spatial and foraging ecology of marine migrants is challenging, due to the vast distances travelled and the numerous habitats occupied within a dynamic seascape. Mediterranean marine turtles migrate thousands of kilometers and face numerous threats, including bycatch, in their marine realm. To help inform targeted conservation, this complex marine ecology must be better understood. This thesis focuses on Mediterranean loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas). By complementing stable isotope analysis (SIA), satellite telemetry, and environmental observations, this thesis aims to enhance our understanding of the complexities of marine turtle spatial and foraging ecology, as well as determine how future climate conditions may influence their habitat use. In Chapter 1, I introduce the importance of conserving marine migrants and discuss the current knowledge of marine turtle spatial and foraging ecology as well as threats faced, with particular emphasis on Mediterranean loggerhead and green turtles. By conducting an extensive review in Chapter 2, I demonstrate how SIA has been used to enhance our understanding of marine turtle ecology, as well as help inform conservation initiatives. I also highlight knowledge gaps (for example, bias in the species studied) and provide recommendations for future SIA studies (for example, following standardised protocols), and use this information to inform latter chapters. In Chapter 3, using SIA I highlight the ecological complexity of juvenile Mediterranean loggerhead turtles, demonstrating there are inter- and intra-population variations in ecology, and that region- and habitat-specific fisheries management is required. In Chapter 4, I identify the foraging grounds for two major Mediterranean loggerhead turtle populations, demonstrate foraging site fidelity over decades, show the proportion of females recruiting from each foraging region does not differ across the multi-decadal study, and suggest site-specific management would be beneficial. Finally, in Chapter 5, I show that migratory dive behaviours of loggerhead and green turtles are influenced by changes in environmental conditions (e.g. wave height and temperature) and that the species-specific migratory corridors used may be due to factors such as feeding preference and physiology, rather than species-specific environmental tolerances, suggesting dynamic and species-specific conservation is required. In Chapter 6, I summarise and discuss the findings from this thesis within the wider context. In conclusion, this thesis emphasises the complexities of marine turtle spatial ecology, shows that habitat use will likely differ under future climate scenarios, and suggests targeted and dynamic conservation is required for effective long term conservation

implications for conservation planning in a Neotropical Hotspot

Covre, A. C., Lourenço-De-Moraes, R., Campos, F. S., & Benedito, E. (2022). Spatial relationships between fishes and amphibians: implications for conservation planning in a Neotropical Hotspot. Environmental Management, 70(6), 978–989. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-1479895/v1, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-022-01707-7 ---- This work received financial support from CAPES (Finance Code 001), CNPq (151473/2018-8), FCT (PTDC/CTA-AMB/28438/2017), and MagIC/NOVA IMS (UIDB/04152/2020).Species distribution patterns are widely used to guide conservation planning and are a central issue in ecology. The usefulness of spatial correlation analysis has been highlighted in several ecological applications so far. However, spatial assumptions in ecology are highly scale-dependent, in which geographical relationships between species diversity and distributions can have different conservation concerns. Here, an integrative landscape planning was designed to show the spatial distribution patterns of taxonomic and functional diversity of amphibians and fishes, from multiple species traits regarding morphology, life history, and behavior. We used spatial, morphological, and ecological data of amphibians and fishes to calculate the functional diversity and the spatial correlation of species. Mapping results show that the higher taxonomic and functional diversity of fishes is concentrated in the West Atlantic Forest. Considering amphibians, are located in the East portion of the biome. The spatial correlation of species indicates the regions of the Serra do Mar and the extreme southern part of the Central Corridor as the main overlapped species distribution areas between both groups. New key conservation sites were reported within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest hotspot, revealing cross-taxon mismatches between terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. This study offers useful spatial information integrating suitable habitats of fishes and amphibians to complement existing and future research based on terrestrial and freshwater conservation. New priorities for biodiversity conservation in rich-species regions highlight the importance of spatial pattern analysis to support land-use planning in a macroecological context.authorsversionpublishe

The effects of landscape modifications on the long-term persistence of animal populations

Background: The effects of landscape modifications on the long-term persistence of wild animal populations is of crucial importance to wildlife managers and conservation biologists, but obtaining experimental evidence using real landscapes is usually impossible. To circumvent this problem we used individual-based models (IBMs) of interacting animals in experimental modifications of a real Danish landscape. The models incorporate as much as possible of the behaviour and ecology of four species with contrasting life-history characteristics: skylark (Alauda arvensis), vole (Microtus agrestis), a ground beetle (Bembidion lampros) and a linyphiid spider (Erigone atra). This allows us to quantify the population implications of experimental modifications of landscape configuration and composition. Methodology/Principal Findings: Starting with a real agricultural landscape, we progressively reduced landscape complexity by (i) homogenizing habitat patch shapes, (ii) randomizing the locations of the patches, and (iii) randomizing the size of the patches. The first two steps increased landscape fragmentation. We assessed the effects of these manipulations on the long-term persistence of animal populations by measuring equilibrium population sizes and time to recovery after disturbance. Patch rearrangement and the presence of corridors had a large effect on the population dynamics of species whose local success depends on the surrounding terrain. Landscape modifications that reduced population sizes increased recovery times in the short-dispersing species, making small populations vulnerable to increasing disturbance. The species that were most strongly affected by large disturbances fluctuated little in population sizes in years when no perturbations took place. Significance: Traditional approaches to the management and conservation of populations use either classical methods of population analysis, which fail to adequately account for the spatial configurations of landscapes, or landscape ecology, which accounts for landscape structure but has difficulty predicting the dynamics of populations living in them. Here we show how realistic and replicable individual-based models can bridge the gap between non-spatial population theory and non-dynamic landscape ecology. A major strength of the approach is its ability to identify population vulnerabilities not detected by standard population viability analyses

Ecology and conservation of the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nesting in Brazil

Knowledge of life-history parameters of marine turtles is essential for understanding their ecology and for effective conservation. The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is globally classified as Vulnerable by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN), however, distinct subpopulations are recognised and require specific data for the assessment of their conservation status. The Southwest Atlantic Ocean subpopulation is known to regularly nest only in eastern Brazil, on the coast of the state of Espírito Santo. This thesis presents a collection of chapters that investigate the ecology and conservation of this taxon. Multiple technologies and methodologies are employed to ask both ecological and management questions, assessing key population parameters to inform conservation. Here I use long-term data (30 years) to investigate the nesting ecology, population trends and conservation status of leatherback turtles in Espírito Santo. I explore their nesting environment and provide baseline data which will guide further research and management strategies under future scenarios of climate change. I investigate the marine habitat use through stable isotope approaches and satellite telemetry to infer spatial ecology, setting out the conservation situation and perspectives of this important population. Finally, I assess the potential impacts of artificial light on wildlife, using marine turtles in Brazil as a case study. The leatherback turtle rookery in Espírito Santo shows signs of population recovery, however, the existence of various threats means this population remains subject of conservation concern.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico eTecnologic

Applications of geographic information systems, remote-sensing, and a landscape ecology approach to biodiversity conservation in the Western Ghats

The mountains along the west coast of peninsular India, the Western Ghats, constitute one of the unique biological regions of the world. Rapidly occurring land-cover and land-use change in the Western Ghats has serious implications for the biodiversity of the region. Both landscape changes as well as the distribution of biodiversity are phenomena with strong spatial correlates. Recent developments in remote-sensing technology and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allow the use of a landscape ecology and spatial analysis approach to the problem of deforestation and biodiversity conservation in the Western Ghats. Applications of this approach include analyses of land-cover and landuse change; estimation of deforestation rates and rates of forest fragmentation; examination of the spatial correlates of forest loss and the socioeconomic drivers of land-use change; modelling of deforestation; analysis of the consequences of land-cover and land-use change in the form of climate change and change in distribution of biodiversity; biomass estimation;gap analysis of the effectiveness of the protected area network in conserving areas of importance for biodiversity conservation; and conservation planning. We present examples from our work in the Western Ghats, in general, and in the Agastyamalai region and Biligiri Rangan Hills, in particular, as well as that of other researchers in India on various aspects of applications of GIS, remote sensing, and 'a landscape ecology approach to biodiversity conservation