20 research outputs found
A Global Perspective on Trends in Nature-Based Tourism
Falling attendance at United States and Japanese national parks has led to claims of a pervasive shift away from nature-based recreation. A global analysis, however, now suggests that while visit rates are declining slightly in some richer countries, elsewhere nature tourism is booming
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A Technical Report for the Global Biodiversity Outlook 3
"This synthesis focuses on estimates of biodiversity change as projected for the 21st century by models or extrapolations based on experiments and observed trends
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
Cross-reactivity of glycan-reactive HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies with parasite glycans
The HIV-1 Envelope glycoprotein (Env) is the sole target for broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs). Env is heavily glycosylated with host-derived N-glycans, and many bnAbs bind to, or are dependent upon, Env glycans for neutralization. Although glycan-binding bnAbs are frequently detected in HIV-infected individuals, attempts to elicit them have been unsuccessful because of the poor immunogenicity of Env N-glycans. Here, we report cross-reactivity of glycan-binding bnAbs with self- and non-self N-glycans and glycoprotein antigens from different life-stages of Schistosoma mansoni. Using the IAVI Protocol C HIV infection cohort, we examine the relationship between S. mansoni seropositivity and development of bnAbs targeting glycan-dependent epitopes. We show that the unmutated common ancestor of the N332/V3-specific bnAb lineage PCDN76, isolated from an HIV-infected donor with S. mansoni seropositivity, binds to S. mansoni cercariae while lacking reactivity to gp120. Overall, these results present a strategy for elicitation of glycan-reactive bnAbs which could be exploited in HIV-1 vaccine development
Biodiversity targets after 2010
The bold commitment made by the world's governments to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 will soon be tested. On the basis of the continuing declines measured by most indicators, it now seems inevitable that the outcome will be that it has not been achieved. Here, in order to build on the momentum created by the 2010 target, we propose a shift away from a large set of static targets towards a smaller number of specific targets. Specifically, we present three categories of targets (red, green and blue) with examples of each. These relate respectively to (1) those biodiversity outcomes that must be avoided to avert situations that are deleterious for people, (2) the highly valued biodiversity conservation priorities, and (3) an improved scientific understanding necessary for adaptive management now and into the future
Linked indicator sets for addressing biodiversity loss
The target adopted by world leaders of significantly reducing the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 was not met but this stimulated a new suite of biodiversity targets for 2020 adopted by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in October 2010. Indicators will be essential for monitoring progress towards these targets and the CBD will be defining a suite of relevant indicators, building on those developed for the 2010 target. Here we argue that explicitly linked sets of indicators offer a more useful framework than do individual indicators because the former are easier to understand, communicate and interpret to guide policy. A Response-Pressure-State-Benefit framework for structuring and linking indicators facilitates an understanding of the relationships between policy actions, anthropogenic threats, the status of biodiversity and the benefits that people derive from it. Such an approach is appropriate at global, regional, national and local scales but for many systems it is easier to demonstrate causal linkages and use them to aid decision making at national and local scales. We outline examples of linked indicator sets for humid tropical forests and marine fisheries as illustrations of the concept and conclude that much work remains to be done in developing both the indicators and the causal links between them