84 research outputs found
Q&A: What is biodiversity?
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Clarifying misconceptions of extinction risk assessment with the IUCN Red List
This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this record.The identification of species at risk of extinction is a central goal of conservation. As the use of data compiled for IUCN Red List assessments expands, a number of misconceptions regarding the purpose, application and use of the IUCN Red List categories and criteria have arisen. We outline five such classes of misconception; the most consequential drive proposals for adapted versions of the criteria, rendering assessments among species incomparable. A key challenge for the future will be to recognize the point where understanding has developed so markedly that it is time for the next generation of the Red List criteria. We do not believe we are there yet but, recognizing the need for scrutiny and continued development of Red Listing, conclude by suggesting areas where additional research could be valuable in improving the understanding of extinction risk among species
Measuring global trends in the status of biodiversity: red list indices for birds.
The rapid destruction of the planet's biodiversity has prompted the nations of the world to set a target of achieving a significant reduction in the rate of loss of biodiversity by 2010. However, we do not yet have an adequate way of monitoring progress towards achieving this target. Here we present a method for producing indices based on the IUCN Red List to chart the overall threat status (projected relative extinction risk) of all the world's bird species from 1988 to 2004. Red List Indices (RLIs) are based on the number of species in each Red List category, and on the number changing categories between assessments as a result of genuine improvement or deterioration in status. The RLI for all bird species shows that their overall threat status has continued to deteriorate since 1988. Disaggregated indices show that deteriorations have occurred worldwide and in all major ecosystems, but with particularly steep declines in the indices for Indo-Malayan birds (driven by intensifying deforestation of the Sundaic lowlands) and for albatrosses and petrels (driven by incidental mortality in commercial longline fisheries). RLIs complement indicators based on species population trends and habitat extent for quantifying global trends in the status of biodiversity. Their main weaknesses are that the resolution of status changes is fairly coarse and that delays may occur before some status changes are detected. Their greatest strength is that they are based on information from nearly all species in a taxonomic group worldwide, rather than a potentially biased subset. At present, suitable data are only available for birds, but indices for other taxonomic groups are in development, as is a sampled index based on a stratified sample from all major taxonomic groups
Biodiversity scientists must fight the creeping rise of extinction denial
Eforts by conservation scientists to draw public attention to the biodiversity crisis are increasingly met with denialist rhetoric. We summarize some of the methods used by denialists to undermine scientifc evidence on biodiversity loss, and outline pathways forward for the scientifc community to counter misinformation
Community-based management induces rapid recovery of a high-value tropical freshwater fishery
Tropical wetlands are highly threatened socio-ecological systems, where local communities rely heavily on aquatic animal protein, such as fish, to meet food security. Here, we quantify how a ‘win-win’ community-based resource management program induced stock recovery of the world’s largest scaled freshwater fish (Arapaima gigas), providing both food and income. We analyzed stock assessment data over eight years and examined the effects of protected areas, community-based management, and landscape and limnological variables across 83 oxbow lakes monitored along a ~500-km section of the Juruá River of Western Brazilian Amazonia. Patterns of community management explained 71.8% of the variation in arapaima population sizes. Annual population counts showed that protected lakes on average contained 304.8 (±332.5) arapaimas, compared to only 9.2 (±9.8) in open-access lakes. Protected lakes have become analogous to a high-interest savings account, ensuring an average annual revenue of US1046.6 per household, greatly improving socioeconomic welfare. Arapaima management is a superb window of opportunity in harmonizing the co-delivery of sustainable resource management and poverty alleviation. We show that arapaima management deserves greater attention from policy makers across Amazonian countries, and highlight the need to include local stakeholders in conservation planning of Amazonian floodplains
Potential impact of invasive alien species on ecosystem services provided by a tropical forested ecosystem: a case study from Montserrat
Local stakeholders at the important but
vulnerable Centre Hills on Montserrat consider that
the continued presence of feral livestock (particularly
goats and pigs) may lead to widespread replacement of
the reserve’s native vegetation by invasive alien trees
(Java plum and guava), and consequent negative
impacts on native animal species. Since 2009, a
hunting programme to control the feral livestock has
been in operation. However long-term funding is not
assured. Here, we estimate the effect of feral livestock
control on ecosystem services provided by the forest to
evaluate whether the biodiversity conservation rationale
for continuation of the control programme is
supported by an economic case. A new practical tool
(Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment)
was employed to measure and compare ecosystem
service provision between two states of the
reserve (i.e. presence and absence of feral livestock
control) to estimate the net consequences of the
hunting programme on ecosystem services provided
by the forest. Based on this we estimate that cessation
of feral livestock management would substantially
reduce the net benefits provided by the site, including a
46 % reduction in nature-based tourism (from
228,000) and 36 % reduction in harvested
wild meat (from 132,000). The
overall net benefit generated from annual ecosystem
service flows associated with livestock control in thereserve, minus the management cost, was $214,000
per year. We conclude that continued feral livestock
control is important for maintaining the current level
of ecosystem services provided by the reserve
Functional redundancy and sensitivity of fish assemblages in European rivers, lakes and estuarine ecosystems
The impact of species loss on ecosystems functioning depends on the amount of trait similarity
between species, i.e. functional redundancy, but it is also influenced by the order in which species are
lost. Here we investigated redundancy and sensitivity patterns across fish assemblages in lakes, rivers
and estuaries. Several scenarios of species extinction were simulated to determine whether the loss of
vulnerable species (with high propensity of extinction when facing threats) causes a greater functional
alteration than random extinction. Our results indicate that the functional redundancy tended to
increase with species richness in lakes and rivers, but not in estuaries. We demonstrated that i) in the
three systems, some combinations of functional traits are supported by non-redundant species, ii) rare
species in rivers and estuaries support singular functions not shared by dominant species, iii) the loss of
vulnerable species can induce greater functional alteration in rivers than in lakes and estuaries. Overall,
the functional structure of fish assemblages in rivers is weakly buffered against species extinction
because vulnerable species support singular functions. More specifically, a hotspot of functional
sensitivity was highlighted in the Iberian Peninsula, which emphasizes the usefulness of quantitative
criteria to determine conservation prioritiesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Diversity and abundance of solitary and primitively eusocial bees in an urban centre: a case study from Northampton (England)
The apparent reduction of solitary and primitively eusocial bees populations has remained a huge concern over the past few decades and urbanisation is considered as one of the factors affecting bees at different scales depending on bee guild. As urbanisation is increasing globally it necessitates more research to understand the complex community dynamics of solitary and primitively eusocial bees in urban settings. We investigated the urban core of a British town for diversity and abundance of solitary bees using standardized methods, and compared the results with nearby meadows and nature reserves. The study recorded 48 species within the town, about 22 % of the total species and 58 % of the genera of solitary bees in the United Kingdom. Furthermore we found the urban core to be more diverse and abundant in solitary and primitively eusocial bees compared to the meadows and nature re-serves. Of particular note was an urban record of the nationally rare Red Data Book species Coelioxys quadridentata and its host Anthophora quadrimaculata. This research demonstrates that urban settings can contribute significantly to the conservation of solitary and primitively eusocial bees in Britain
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Toward an improved representation of middle atmospheric dynamics thanks to the ARISE project
This paper reviews recent progress toward understanding the dynamics of the middle atmosphere in the framework of the Atmospheric Dynamics Research InfraStructure in Europe (ARISE) initiative. The middle atmosphere, integrating the stratosphere and mesosphere, is a crucial region which influences tropospheric weather and climate. Enhancing the understanding of middle atmosphere dynamics requires improved measurement of the propagation and breaking of planetary and gravity waves originating in the lowest levels of the atmosphere. Inter-comparison studies have shown large discrepancies between observations and models, especially during unresolved disturbances such as sudden stratospheric warmings for which model accuracy is poorer due to a lack of observational constraints. Correctly predicting the variability of the middle atmosphere can lead to improvements in tropospheric weather forecasts on timescales of weeks to season. The ARISE project integrates different station networks providing observations from ground to the lower thermosphere, including the infrasound system developed for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty verification, the Lidar Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change, complementary meteor radars, wind radiometers, ionospheric sounders and satellites. This paper presents several examples which show how multi-instrument observations can provide a better description of the vertical dynamics structure of the middle atmosphere, especially during large disturbances such as gravity waves activity and stratospheric warming events. The paper then demonstrates the interest of ARISE data in data assimilation for weather forecasting and re-analyzes the determination of dynamics evolution with climate change and the monitoring of atmospheric extreme events which have an atmospheric signature, such as thunderstorms or volcanic eruptions
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