Towards systematic conservation planning adapted to the local flow of ecosystem services

Ecosystem services (ES) are increasingly included in conservation assessment worldwide to sustain their ability to fulfill human needs. Due to the instrumental value inherent in ES, priority areas for their conservation should be selected based on their capacity to both ensure an available supply and meet beneficiary demands. However, such a methodology has yet to be developed. Aiming to adapt systematic conservation planning procedures to include ES, we conducted a case study in eastern Canada focusing on ten ES for 16 wetland types. We first delimited the ES supply accessible for human use from the total biophysical supply and mapped demand for each ES. Secondly, we assembled conservation networks targeting the accessible supply and demand and compared them with networks targeting either ES biophysical supply or accessible supply. We found that targeting only ES supply resulted in selecting sites that are not in demand and may be up to three times less efficient in fulfilling the demands of beneficiaries for local flow ES. Thus, not considering demand in ES conservation assessment fails to position reserves where ES supply is likely to be most useful. Setting conservation targets for ES supply and demand could therefore help to achieve ES conservation objectives

Compositional and functional trajectories of herbaceous communities after deer density control in clear-cut boreal forests

Overabundant populations of large herbivores have strong persistent effects on forest composition, structure, and function. However, the mechanism through which plant communities recover their original composition and function after herbivore management remains poorly understood. We assessed the temporal trajectories of the herbaceous communities in Abies balsamea (L.) Mill. and Picea glauca (Moench) Voss stands on Anticosti Island (Quebec, Canada) over 8 years following clear-cutting and deer management. The impact of deer exclusion or reduction to 7.5 and 15 deer·km–2 was compared with benchmark in situ deer densities (27 and 56 deer·km–2). Effects of deer management treatments on plant species and functional trait assemblages over time were assessed using principal response curves. Although complete deer exclusion seemed necessary to modify species composition from that occurring under intense browsing, a reduced density of 7.5 deer·km–2 was sufficient to induce significant changes in functional trait assemblages of regenerating stands. For instance, reduced deer densities favored plants with brightly colored flowers and compound inflorescences pollinated by animals and producing large seeds and fleshy fruits dispersed by animals. We conclude that the boreal forest's herbaceous communities are resilient to chronic browsing when deer population reduction and forest clearcutting are applied in synergy.Les populations surabondantes de grands herbivores ont des effets majeurs et persistants sur la composition, la structure et le fonctionnement de la forêt. Toutefois, le mécanisme par lequel les communautés végétales retrouvent leur composition et leur fonctionnement originels en réponse au contrôle des herbivores demeure mal compris. Nous avons évalué les trajectoires temporelles des communautés herbacées dans des peuplements d'Abies balsamea (L.) Mill. et de Picea glauca (Moench) Voss à l'île d'Anticosti (Québec, Canada) pendant 8 années après avoir effectué une coupe à blanc et contrôlé les populations de cerfs. L'impact de l'exclusion du cerf ou d'une réduction de la densité à 7,5 ou 15 cerfs·km–2 a été comparé à des densités témoins in situ (27 et 56 cerfs·km–2). Les effets des traitements de gestion du cerf sur les espèces végétales et les assemblages de traits fonctionnels ont été évalués en fonction du temps au moyen de la méthode des courbes de réponses principales. Bien que l'exclusion complète du cerf ait semblé nécessaire pour modifier la composition spécifique par rapport à celle observée en conditions de broutage intense, une densité réduite à 7,5 cerfs·km–2 était suffisante pour induire des changements significatifs dans les assemblages de traits fonctionnels des peuplements en régénération. À titre d'exemple, des densités réduites de cerfs ont favorisé les plantes à fleurs de couleur vive et les plantes à fleurs composées pollinisées par les animaux et produisant de grosses graines et des fruits charnus dispersés par les animaux. Nous concluons que les communautés herbacées de la forêt boréale sont résilientes au broutage chronique quand une réduction des populations de cerfs et une coupe forestière à blanc sont appliquées en synergie

Growth response of cuttings to drought and intermittent flooding for three Salix species and implications for riverbank soil bioengineering

Willows are used as cuttings or in fascines for riverbank soil bioengineering, to control erosion with their high resprouting ability and rapid growth. However, water availability is highly variable along riverbanks both in time and space and constitutes a major stress limiting willow establishment. A species-specific understanding of willow cutting response to water stress is critical to design successful riverbank soil bioengineering projects given exclusive use of local species is often recommended. In a three-month greenhouse experiment, we investigated the effects of three soil moisture treatments (drought—soil saturation—intermittent flooding) on survival, biomass production and root growth of cuttings of three willow species used for soil bioengineering along NE American streams (Salix discolor—S. eriocephala—S. interior). Cutting survival was high for all species and treatments (>89%). Biomass production and root volume only differed between species. S. eriocephala produced the highest biomass and root volume, and S. discolor invested more in belowground than aboveground biomass. Root length responded to soil moisture differently between species. Under intermittent flooding, S. eriocephala produced shorter roots, while S. interior produced longer roots. For riverbank soil bioengineering, S. eriocephala should be favored at medium elevation and S. interior at lower elevation

What would have been the impacts of wetlands on low flow support and high flow attenuation under steady state land cover conditions?

Conversion of wetlands into other land covers such as cropland or urban area can affect watershed hydrology. The main objective of this work was to quantify the impact of land cover changes, especially those for wetlands, on low flow support and high flow attenuation, through a sub-watershed analysis of the St. Charles River, Quebec, Canada. 1978 and 2014 land cover scenarios, depicting a decrease in wetland areas of 15% at the watershed scale, were integrated into the hydrological modelling platform PHYSITEL/HYDROTEL. The most sensitive model parameters were automatically calibrated at the sub-watershed scale using the dynamically dimensioned search (DDS) algorithm. Pairs of simulations (with and without wetlands) were generated and model outputs were compared to illustrate the differences between the hydrological services provided by the wetlands of the 1978 land cover scenario and those provided by the wetlands of the 2014 land cover scenario. Results showed that low flow support at the outlet of the watershed, in scenarios with wetlands, compared to without wetland, would have increased from 2 to 14% in the 1978 land cover scenario (depending on flow indicator) and from 3 to 20% given the 2014 land cover scenario, whereas high flow attenuation would have been reduced from 15-26% to 16–20%, respectively. Results showed that the effect of wetland change was different between sub-watersheds, but demonstrated that the loss of wetland areas generally leads to a loss of hydrological services and highlighted the need for wetland conservation programs and restoration actions

Species indicators of ecosystem recovery after reducing large herbivore density: Comparing taxa and testing species combinations

Indicator species have been used successfully for estimating ecosystem integrity, but comparative studies for defining optimal taxonomic group remain scarce. Furthermore, species combinations may constitute more integrative tools than single species indicators, but case studies are needed to test their efficiency. We used Indicator Species Analysis, which statistically determines the association of species to one or several groups of sites, to obtain indicators of ecosystem recovery after various deer density reductions. We used five taxonomic groups: plants, carabid beetles, bees, moths and songbirds. To test whether species combinations could complement single indicator species, we used plants as a model taxon and examined the indicator value of joint occurrence of two or three plant species. Our study relies on experimental controlled browsing enclosures established for six years on Anticosti Island (Quebec). Four levels of deer density (0, 7.5 and 15 deer km−2 and natural densities between 27 and 56 deer km−2) were studied in two vegetation cover types (uncut forests and cut-over areas), in a full factorial design for a total of eight experimental treatments. For all taxa but bees, we tested 54 treatment groups consisting in one specific density or in a sequence of two or more consecutive deer densities in one or both cover types (ten groups for bees, sampled only in cut-over areas). We found 12 plants, 11 moths and one songbird to be single species indicators of ecosystem conditions obtained under 12 different treatment groups. Six treatment groups were indicated by plants and six different ones by moths, of which one group was also identified by a songbird species. Moths were thus worth the extra sampling effort, especially since the groups they indicated were more treatment-specific (mainly one or two deer density treatments). We tested the same 54 treatment groups for plant species combinations represented by two or three co-occurring species. Plant combinations efficiently complemented plant singletons for detecting ecosystem conditions obtained under various deer densities. In fact, although singletons were highly predictive, 17 additional treatment groups were identified exclusively with two- and three-species combinations, some being more treatment-specific. Our findings show that plants and moths provide complementary indicators of ecosystem conditions under various deer densities, and that computing species combinations increases our capacity to monitor ecosystem recovery after reducing herbivore densities.Funding was provided by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)-Produits forestiers Anticosti Industrial Chair to SDC, the Ministère des Ressources Naturelles et de la Faune du Québec, the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada and an NSERC scholarship to MB and NSERC DG to MP and SP. We are grateful to the Centre de la Science de la Biodiversité du Québec and Centre d’études nordiques for scholarships

A National Spinal Muscular Atrophy Registry for Real-World Evidence.

BACKGROUND: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a devastating rare disease that affects individuals regardless of ethnicity, gender, and age. The first-approved disease-modifying therapy for SMA, nusinursen, was approved by Health Canada, as well as by American and European regulatory agencies following positive clinical trial outcomes. The trials were conducted in a narrow pediatric population defined by age, severity, and genotype. Broad approval of therapy necessitates close follow-up of potential rare adverse events and effectiveness in the larger real-world population. METHODS: The Canadian Neuromuscular Disease Registry (CNDR) undertook an iterative multi-stakeholder process to expand the existing SMA dataset to capture items relevant to patient outcomes in a post-marketing environment. The CNDR SMA expanded registry is a longitudinal, prospective, observational study of patients with SMA in Canada designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of novel therapies and provide practical information unattainable in trials. RESULTS: The consensus expanded dataset includes items that address therapy effectiveness and safety and is collected in a multicenter, prospective, observational study, including SMA patients regardless of therapeutic status. The expanded dataset is aligned with global datasets to facilitate collaboration. Additionally, consensus dataset development aimed to standardize appropriate outcome measures across the network and broader Canadian community. Prospective outcome studies, data use, and analyses are independent of the funding partner. CONCLUSION: Prospective outcome data collected will provide results on safety and effectiveness in a post-therapy approval era. These data are essential to inform improvements in care and access to therapy for all SMA patients