Where did all the pangolins go? International CITES trade in pangolin species

Available online 24 October 2016The pangolin is greatly sought after for its various body parts, largely driven by demand from China. The mammal has been driven to the edge of extinction in Asia, with two Asian species listed as Critically Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. With declining Asian pangolin populations, a shift in trade from Asian to African pangolin species has been suggested. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Trade Database provides a unique opportunity to investigate global trends in pangolin trade at the species level, across a broad temporal scale (1977–2014). We found that CITES trade in Asian pangolin species decreased through time, whilst trade in African species increased post 2000. The total number of incidents involving Asian species declined since 2000, yet they were still being traded in large volumes (more than 17,500 estimated whole Asian pangolins were traded from 2001 to 2014) despite a zero export quota for all wild sourced Asian species, traded for primarily commercial purposes. In 2014 all eight pangolin species were recorded in the CITES trade for the first time. An increasingly complex international network was identified through time, with the United States of America (US) being the dominant player in the global pangolin trade that was reported to CITES. The US was the most frequent trade country throughout the entire period and was the greatest importer of pangolins, and their products; measured both in volume as well as frequency. We hope that identifying these global trade network characteristics, and pangolin trade dynamics will help to inform pangolin conservation efforts, and guide enforcement and legislative changes in the future.Sarah Heinrich, Talia A. Wittmann, Thomas A.A. Prowse, Joshua V. Ross, Steven Delean, Chris R. Shepherd, Phillip Casse

DAMA: the global distribution of alien mammals database

We developed the DAMA (Distribution of Alien MAmmals) database, a comprehensive source reporting the global distribution of the 230 species of mammals that have established, self-sustaining and free-ranging populations outside their native range due to direct or indirect human action. Every alien range is accompanied by information on its invasion stage, pathway, method of introduction and date of introduction. We collected information from 827 different sources (scientific literature, books, risk assessments, reports, online biodiversity databases and websites), and used it to draw alien range maps for these species following the IUCN mapping framework. DAMA comprises 2726 range polygons, covering 199 Countries, 2190 level 1 administrative areas and 11 zoogeographic realms for the period 21500 BC-AD 2017. The most represented orders among introduced mammal species are Rodentia (n=58, 25.22%), Cetartiodactyla (n=49 species, 21.30%), Carnivora (n=30 species, 13.04%), Diprotodontia (n=28, 12.17%) and Primates (n=26, 11.30%). Mammal species have been frequently introduced for hunting (n=100), pet trade (n=57), conservation (n=51) and fauna improvement (n=42). The majority of range polygons are placed on islands (n=2196, 80.56%), encompass populations that have moved beyond establishment and into the invasion stage (n=1655, 60.71%), and originated from 1500 AD to the present (n=1496, 54.88%). Despite inheriting literature biases towards more studied regions (e.g., developed Countries), DAMA is the most up-to-date picture of alien mammal global distribution and can be used to investigate their invasion ecology across different biogeographical regions. There are no copyright or proprietary restrictions; IUCN range maps were modified into a derivative work according to the IUCN's terms of service

A systematic review of the validity, reliability, and feasibility of measurement tools used to assess the physical activity and sedentary behaviour of pre-school aged children

Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) of pre-school aged children are associated with important health and developmental outcomes. Accurate measurement of these behaviours in young children is critical for research and practice in this area. The aim of this review was to examine the validity, reliability, and feasibility of measurement tools used to assess PA and SB of pre-school aged children. Searches of electronic databases, and manual searching, were conducted to identify articles that examined the measurement properties (validity, reliability or feasibility) of measurement tools used to examine PA and/or SB of pre-school aged children (3–7 years old). Following screening, data were extracted and risk of bias assessment completed on all included articles. A total of 69 articles, describing 75 individual studies were included. Studies assessed measurement tools for PA (n = 27), SB (n = 5), and both PA and SB (n = 43). Outcome measures of PA and SB differed between studies (e.g. moderate to vigorous activity, step count, posture allocation). Most studies examined the measurement properties of one measurement tool only (n = 65). Measurement tools examined included: calorimetry, direct observation, combined heart rate and accelerometry, heart rate monitors, accelerometers, pedometers, and proxy report (parent, carer or teacher reported) measures (questionnaires or diaries). Studies most frequently assessed the validity (criterion and convergent) (n = 65), face and content validity (n = 2), test-retest reliability (n = 10) and intra-instrument reliability (n = 1) of the measurement tools. Feasibility data was abstracted from 41 studies. Multiple measurement tools used to measure PA and SB in pre-school aged children showed some degree of validity, reliability and feasibility, but often for different purposes. Accelerometers, including the Actigraph (in particular GT3X versions), Actical, ActivPAL and Fitbit (Flex and Zip), and proxy reported measurement tools used in combination may be useful for a range of outcome measures, to measure intensity alongside contextual information

The global distribution and drivers of alien bird species richness

Alien species are a major component of human-induced environmental change. Variation in the numbers of alien species found in different areas is likely to depend on a combination of anthropogenic and environmental factors, with anthropogenic factors affecting the number of species introduced to new locations, and when, and environmental factors influencing how many species are able to persist there. However, global spatial and temporal variation in the drivers of alien introduction and species richness remain poorly understood. Here, we analyse an extensive new database of alien birds to explore what determines the global distribution of alien species richness for an entire taxonomic class. We demonstrate that the locations of origin and introduction of alien birds, and their identities, were initially driven largely by European (mainly British) colonialism. However, recent introductions are a wider phenomenon, involving more species and countries, and driven in part by increasing economic activity. We find that, globally, alien bird species richness is currently highest at midlatitudes and is strongly determined by anthropogenic effects, most notably the number of species introduced (i.e., "colonisation pressure"). Nevertheless, environmental drivers are also important, with native and alien species richness being strongly and consistently positively associated. Our results demonstrate that colonisation pressure is key to understanding alien species richness, show that areas of high native species richness are not resistant to colonisation by alien species at the global scale, and emphasise the likely ongoing threats to global environments from introductions of species.Ellie E. Dyer, Phillip Cassey, David W. Redding, Ben Collen, Victoria Franks, Kevin J. Gaston, Kate E. Jones, Salit Kark, C. David L. Orme, Tim M. Blackbur

Spatial climate patterns explain negligible variation in strength of compensatory density feedbacks in birds and mammals

The use of long-term population data to separate the demographic role of climate from density-modified demographic processes has become a major topic of ecological investigation over the last two decades. Although the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that determine the strength of density feedbacks are now well understood, the degree to which climate gradients shape those processes across taxa and broad spatial scales remains unclear. Intuitively, harsh or highly variable environmental conditions should weaken compensatory density feedbacks because populations are hypothetically unable to achieve or maintain densities at which social and trophic interactions (e.g., competition, parasitism, predation, disease) might systematically reduce population growth. Here we investigate variation in the strength of compensatory density feedback, from long-term time series of abundance over 146 species of birds and mammals, in response to spatial gradients of broad-scale temperature precipitation variables covering 97 localities in 28 countries. We use information-theoretic metrics to rank phylogenetic generalized least-squares regression models that control for sample size (time-series length) and phylogenetic non-independence. Climatic factors explained < 1% of the remaining variation in density-feedback strength across species, with the highest non-control, model-averaged effect sizes related to extreme precipitation variables. We could not link our results directly to other published studies, because ecologists use contrasting responses, predictors and statistical approaches to correlate density feedback and climate--at the expense of comparability in a macroecological context. Censuses of multiple populations within a given species, and a priori knowledge of the spatial scales at which density feedbacks interact with climate, seem to be necessary to determine cross-taxa variation in this phenomenon. Despite the availability of robust modelling tools, the appropriate data have not yet been gathered for most species, meaning that we cannot yet make any robust generalisations about how demographic feedbacks interact with climate.Salvador Herrando-Pe, rez, Steven Delean, Barry W. Brook, Phillip Cassey, Corey J. A. Bradsha

A Qualitative Study Exploring Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Support among Individuals Experiencing Homelessness during COVID-19

People experiencing homelessness have higher rates of mental ill-health and substance use and lower access to health services compared to the general population. The COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in service delivery across health and social care services, with many adopting virtual or telephone support for service users. This paper explores the experiences of access to community-based mental health and substance use support for people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative telephone interviews were conducted with 10 women and 16 men (ages 25 to 71) who self-identified as experiencing homelessness in North East England between February and May 2021. With five individuals with lived experience, results were analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. Reactive changes to support provision often led to inadvertent exclusion. Barriers to access included: physical locations, repetition of recovery stories, individual readiness, and limited availability. Participants suggested creating services reflective of need and opportunities for choice and empowerment. Community mental health and substance use support for people experiencing homelessness should ensure the support is personalised, responsive to need, inclusive, and trauma-informed. The findings of this research have important implications for mental health and substance use policy and practice for individuals who experience homelessness during a public health crisis

Transnational environmental crime threatens sustainable development

Transnational environmental crime has become the largest financial driver of social conflict, with severe implications for peace and security. Sustainable-development frameworks need to overtly recognize and mitigate the risks posed by transnational environmental crime to environmental security

An efficient protocol for the global sensitivity analysis of stochastic ecological models

Stochastic simulation models requiring many input parameters are widely used to inform the management of ecological systems. The interpretation of complex models is aided by global sensitivity analysis, using simulations for distinct parameter sets sampled from multidimensional space. Ecologists typically analyze such output using an “emulator”; that is, a statistical model used to approximate the relationship between parameter inputs and simulation outputs and to derive sensitivity measures. However, it is typical for ad hoc decisions to be made regarding: (1) trading off the number of parameter samples against the number of simulation iterations run per sample, (2) determining whether parameter sampling is sufficient, and (3) selecting an appropriate emulator. To evaluate these choices, we coupled different sensitivity-analysis designs and emulators for a stochastic, 20-parameter model that simulated the re-introduction of a threatened species subject to predation and disease, and then validated the emulators against new output generated from the simulation model. Our results lead to the following sensitivity analysis-protocol for stochastic ecological models. (1) Run a single simulation iteration per parameter sample generated, even if the focal response is a probabilistic outcome, while sampling extensively across the parameter space. In contrast to designs that invested in many model iterations (tens to thousands) per parameter sample, this approach allowed emulators to capture the input-output relationship of the simulation model more accurately and also to produce sensitivity measures that were robust to variation inherent in the parameter-sampling stage. (2) Confirm that parameter sampling is sufficient, by emulating subsamples of the sensitivity-analysis output. As the subsample size is increased, the cross-validatory performance of the emulator and sensitivity measures derived from it should exhibit asymptotic behavior. This approach can also be used to compare candidate emulators and select an appropriate interaction depth. (3) If required, conduct further simulations for additional parameter samples, and then report sensitivity measures and illustrate key response curves using the selected emulator. This protocol will generate robust sensitivity measures and facilitate the interpretation of complex ecological models, while minimizing simulation effort.Thomas A. A. Prowse, Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Steven Delean, Phillip Cassey, Robert C. Lacy, Konstans Wells, Matthew E. Aiello-Lammens, H. R. Akçakaya, and Barry W. Broo

Concurrent invasions by European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) suggest selection on shared genomic regions even after genetic bottlenecks

A species’ success during the invasion of new areas hinges on an interplay between the demographic processes common to invasions and the specific ecological context of the novel environment. Evolutionary genetic studies of invasive species can investigate how genetic bottlenecks and ecological conditions shape genetic variation in invasions, and our study pairs two invasive populations that are hypothesized to be from the same source population to compare how each population evolved during and after introduction. Invasive European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) established populations in both Australia and North America in the 19th century. Here, we compare whole-genome sequences among native and independently introduced European Starling populations to determine how demographic processes interact with rapid evolution to generate similar genetic patterns in these recent and replicated invasions. Demographic models indicate that both invasive populations experienced genetic bottlenecks as expected based on invasion history, and we find that specific genomic regions have differentiated even on this short evolutionary timescale. Despite genetic bottlenecks, we suggest that genetic drift alone cannot explain differentiation in at least two of these regions. The demographic boom intrinsic to many invasions as well as potential inversions may have led to high population-specific differentiation, although the patterns of genetic variation are also consistent with the hypothesis that this infamous and highly mobile invader adapted to novel selection (e.g., extrinsic factors). We use targeted sampling of replicated invasions to identify and evaluate support for multiple, interacting evolutionary mechanisms that lead to differentiation during the invasion process