Sporormiella as a tool for detecting the presence of large herbivores in the Neotropics

The reliability of using the abundance of Sporormiella spores as a proxy for the presence and abundance of megaherbivores was tested in southern Brazil. Mud-water interface samples from nine lakes, in which cattle-use was categorized as high, medium, or low, were assayed for Sporormiella representation. The sampling design allowed an analysis of both the influence of the number of animals using the shoreline and the distance of the sampling site from the nearest shoreline. Sporormiella was found to be a reliable proxy for the presence of large livestock. The concentration and abundance of spores declined from the edge of the lake toward the center, with the strongest response being in sites with high livestock use. Consistent with prior studies in temperate regions, we find that Sporormiella spores are a useful proxy to study the extinction of Pleistocene megafauna or the arrival of European livestock in Neotropical landscapes

Global extent and drivers of mammal population declines in protected areas under illegal hunting pressure

Illegal hunting is a persistent problem in many protected areas, but an overview of the extent of this problem and its impact on wildlife is lacking. We reviewed 40 years (1980–2020) of global research to examine the spatial distribution of research and socio-ecological factors influencing population decline within protected areas under illegal hunting pressure. From 81 papers reporting 988 species/site combinations, 294 mammal species were reported to have been illegally hunted from 155 protected areas across 48 countries. Research in illegal hunting has increased substantially during the review period and showed biases towards strictly protected areas and the African continent. Population declines were most frequent in countries with a low human development index, particularly in strict protected areas and for species with a body mass over 100 kg. Our results provide evidence that illegal hunting is most likely to cause declines of large-bodied species in protected areas of resource-poor countries regardless of protected area conservation status. Given the growing pressures of illegal hunting, increased investments in people’s development and additional conservation efforts such as improving anti-poaching strategies and conservation resources in terms of improving funding and personnel directed at this problem are a growing priority

Scientists’ call to action: Microbes, planetary health, and the Sustainable Development Goals

Microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, and protists, are essential to life on Earth and the functioning of the biosphere. Here, we discuss the key roles of microorganisms in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting recent and emerging advances in microbial research and technology that can facilitate our transition toward a sustainable future. Given the central role of microorganisms in the biochemical processing of elements, synthesizing new materials, supporting human health, and facilitating life in managed and natural landscapes, microbial research and technologies are directly or indirectly relevant for achieving each of the SDGs. More importantly, the ubiquitous and global role of microbes means that they present new opportunities for synergistically accelerating progress toward multiple sustainability goals. By effectively managing microbial health, we can achieve solutions that address multiple sustainability targets ranging from climate and human health to food and energy production. Emerging international policy frameworks should reflect the vital importance of microorganisms in achieving a sustainable future.Funding was provided by the Bernina Foundation and DOB Ecolog

Conserving the World’s Megafauna and Biodiversity: The Fierce Urgency of Now

Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society Oregon State UniversityDesert Ecology Research Group of the School of Biological Sciences University of SydneyCentre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin UniversitySchool of Environmental and Forest Sciences University of WashingtonDepartment of Ecology Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesResearch Unit of Biodiversity Oviedo UniversityInstitute of Zoology Zoological Society of LondonWildlife Conservation Research Unit of the Department of Zoology University of Oxford and the Recanati-Kaplan CentrePantheraDepartment of Zoology and Entomology University of PretoriaSchool of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu-NatalWildlife Conservation Society New YorkSchool of Natural Sciences University of StirlingIUCN Species Survival Commission's African Elephant Specialist IUCN Eastern and Southern African Regional OfficeSchool of Environment and Natural Resources Ohio State UniversitySchool of Geography School of Environmental and Geographical Sciences University of Nottingham Malaysia CampusCenter for Integrative Conservation of the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Geography University of Victoria and the Raincoast Conservation FoundationDepartment of Biology at Stanford UniversityDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of CaliforniaCentre for African Conservation Ecology Nelson Mandela UniversitySchool of Biological Science and the School of Environment Natural Resources Geography at Bangor UniversityCentre for Wildlife Management University of PretoriaDepartamento de Ecologia Universidade Estadual PaulistaDepartment of Bioscience Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity Aarhus UniversityWildlife Conservation Society India ProgramInternational Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival CommissionCentre for Ecosystem Science University of New South WalesDepartment of Fisheries and Wildlife Oregon State UniversityWorld Wildlife Fund-USDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton UniversitySchool of Life Sciences University of SussexNicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences Duke UniversityNelson Institute for Environmental Studies University of WisconsinSchool of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Michigan Technological UniversityCentre for Compassionate Conservation School of Life Sciences University of TechnologyInstitute of Ecology Beijing Normal UniversityDepartamento de Ecologia Universidade Estadual Paulist

The Role of Postfire Coarse Woody Debris in Aspen Regeneration

Abstract The paucity of aspen (Populus tremuloides) regeneration in the western United States and on Yellowstone National Park's (YNP) northern range has been of concern to managers and scientists for much of the 20th century, with the effects of ungulate browsing, climate fluctuation, and fire suppression being vigorously debated. We analyzed the interaction of fire and elk (Cervus elaphus) browsing in YNP, specifically the role of coarse woody debris as a mechanism for assisting aspen regeneration. We hypothesized that fallen conifers killed in the 1988 YNP fires would provide refugia, allowing a limited amount of aspen regeneration under the current levels of heavy ungulate browsing. We located burned sites on YNP's northern range and searched for “jackstraw piles,” where fallen conifers provided aspen refugia from ungulate browsing. We discovered that aspen suckers protected by fallen conifer barriers were on average over two times the height of adjacent unprotected suckers. Paired t-tests showed a highly significant difference between the aspen heights within the protected jackstraw sites (&gt;0.8 m high) and those in the open that were subjected to elk browsing (P = 0.000). These results illustrate the role that fallen conifers can play in aspen regeneration as well as the interaction of the ecological processes of wildfire, ungulate browsing, and seral stage development. West. J. Appl. For. 16(2):61–64.</jats:p

Yellowstone's Prehistoric Bison: A Comment on Keigley (2019)

We provide additional information addressing the issue of whether American bison (Bison bison) were generally absent or present in Yellowstone National Park prior to its establishment in 1872. Our results support Keigley's conclusion that bison herds before the mid-1800s were absent in Yellowstone National park, and particularly the park's northern range. Our results also support Keigley's conclusion that bison had no significant role in the ecological processes that helped shape the park's original landscape.The Rangelands archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information

Evolution of approaches for forest cover estimation in the Pacific Northwest, USA, using remote sensing

The transformation of land cover, in particular coniferous forest, constitutes one of the most notable agents of regional-to-global-scale environmental change. Remote sensing provides an excellent opportunity for providing forest cover information at appropriate spatial and temporal scales. The optimal exploitation of remote sensing relies on the link between known forest cover and the remotely sensed dataset. This paper explores the accuracy of three methods – vegetation indices, regression analysis and neural networks – for estimating coniferous forest cover across the United States Pacific Northwest. All methods achieved a similar accuracy of forest cover estimation. However, in view of the benefits and limitations of each, the neural network approach is recommended for future consideration