Advantages and Disadvantages of Techniques for Transforming and Analyzing Chiropteran Echolocation Calls

Bat researchers currently use a variety of techniques that transform echolocation calls into audible frequencies and allow the spectral content of a signal to be viewed and analyzed. All techniques have limitations and an understanding of how each works and the effect on the signal being analyzed are vital for correct interpretation. The 3 most commonly used techniques for transforming frequencies of a call are heterodyne, frequency division, and time expansion. Three techniques for viewing spectral content of a signal are zero-crossing, Fourier analysis, and instantaneous frequency analysis. It is important for bat researchers to be familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of each techniqu

Biodiversity monitoring protocols for REDD+: can a one-size-fits-all approach really work?

Development of a standard monitoring protocol for assessing the impacts of REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) projects on biodiversity is desirable. Drawing on the conservation literature and our personal experience, we review whether such a one-size-fits-all approach is justifiable on scientific and practical grounds. We conclude that achieving a model biodiversity monitoring protocol suitable for use in all potential REDD+ sites is probably an unrealistic objective, owing to the huge differences among the world's forests in terms of structure, species composition, ecological interactions and ecosystem services provided. Moreover, to provide useful feedback for conservation managers, ecological monitoring programmes must be designed around a project's conservation goals, which will vary from project to project, owing to these differences in forest ecology and human threats faced. Thus, site-specific biodiversity monitoring programmes are needed. No single monitoring method is likely to be optimal, or even suitable for use, in all REDD+ forests. Instead, we suggest that a standard approach be adopted, in which ecological monitoring research is (i) designed to reflect a project's biodiversity conservation goals; (ii) based upon scientifically-tractable, policy-relevant questions regarding the impacts of management interventions on the ecosystem; (iii) founded on detailed knowledge of the habitat type in question; (iv) includes monitoring of a number of indicators, as appropriate to the project; and (v) defines appropriate reference/baseline conditions against which progress can be assessed

Targeted Conservation to Safeguard a Biodiversity Hotspot from Climate and Land-Cover Change

Responses of biodiversity to changes in both land cover and climate are recognized [1] but still poorly understood [2]. This poses significant challenges for spatial planning as species could shift, contract, expand, or maintain their range inside or outside protected areas [2, 3 and 4]. We examine this problem in Borneo, a global biodiversity hotspot [5], using spatial prioritization analyses that maximize species conservation under multiple environmental-change forecasts. Climate projections indicate that 11%–36% of Bornean mammal species will lose ?30% of their habitat by 2080, and suitable ecological conditions will shift upslope for 23%–46%. Deforestation exacerbates this process, increasing the proportion of species facing comparable habitat loss to 30%–49%, a 2-fold increase on historical trends. Accommodating these distributional changes will require conserving land outside existing protected areas, but this may be less than anticipated from models incorporating deforestation alone because some species will colonize high-elevation reserves. Our results demonstrate the increasing importance of upland reserves and that relatively small additions (16,000–28,000 km2) to the current conservation estate could provide substantial benefits to biodiversity facing changes to land cover and climate. On Borneo, much of this land is under forestry jurisdiction, warranting targeted conservation partnerships to safeguard biodiversity in an era of global change