Composition of ex situ collections conserved by 20 national genebanks and implications for global conservation priorities

Conservation status and threat assessments evaluate species’ relative risks of extinction globally, regionally, nationally, or locally and estimate the degree to which populations of species are already safeguarded in existing conservation systems, with the aim of exposing the critical gaps in current conservation. Results of the assessments can therefore aid in directing limited conservation resources to the species and populations that are most at-risk. This chapter introduces the roles of conservation status and threat assessments in informing conservation priorities for crop wild relatives in North America and provides an overview of the current results for US taxa. Methods to assess the conservation status and to perform threat assessments for North American crop wild relatives are well developed via NatureServe and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and the essential infrastructure to perform these analyses is present, at least in Canada and the US. Current conservation assessments for North American wild relatives need updating but already reveal a landscape of multiple complex threats and major gaps in the ex situ and in situ conservation of prioritized species. Further resources and concerted efforts are needed to update conservation assessments and then to use the results to inform efforts to fill the critical gaps in conservation.

BackgroundHow do national-level actions overlap with global priorities for conservation? Answering this question is especially important in countries with high and unique biological diversity like Colombia. Global biodiversity schemes provide conservation guidance at a large scale, while national governments gazette land for protection based on a combination of criteria at regional or local scales. Information on how a protected area network represents global and national conservation priorities is crucial for finding gaps in coverage and for future expansion of the system.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe evaluated the agreement of Colombia's protected area network with global conservation priorities, and the extent to which the network reflects the country's biomes, species richness, and common environmental and physical conditions. We used this information to identify priority biomes for conservation. We find the dominant strategy in Colombia has been a proactive one, allocating the highest proportion of protected land on intact, difficult to access and species rich areas like the Amazon. Threatened and unique areas are disproportionately absent from Colombia's protected lands. We highlight six biomes in Colombia as conservation priorities that should be considered in any future expansion of Colombia's protected area network. Two of these biomes have less than 3% of their area protected and more than 70% of their area transformed for human use. One has less than 3% protected and high numbers of threatened vertebrates. Three biomes fall in both categories.ConclusionsExpansion of Colombia's Protected Area Network should consider the current representativeness of the network. We indicate six priority biomes that can contribute to improving the representation of threatened species and biomes in Colombia.

Several international conservation organizations have recently produced global priority maps to guide conservation activities and spending in their own and other conservation organizations. Surprisingly, it is not possible to directly evaluate the relationship between priorities and spending within a given organization because none of the organizations with global priority models tracks how they spend their money relative to their priorities. We were able, however to evaluate the spending patterns of five other large biodiversity conservation organizations without their own published global priority models and investigate the potential influence of priority models on this spending. On average, countries with priority areas received greater conservation investment; global prioritization systems, however explained between only 2 and 32% of the U.S. dollars 1.5 billion spent in 2002, depending on whether the United States was removed from analyses and whether conservation spending was adjusted by the per capita gross domestic product within each country. We also found little overlap in the spending patterns of the five conservation organizations evaluated, suggesting that informal coordination or segregation of effort may be occurring. Our results also highlight a number of potential gaps and mismatches in how limited conservation funds are spent and provide the first audit of global conservation spending patterns. More explicit presentation of conservation priorities by organizations currently withoutpriority models and better tracking of spending by those with published priorities are clearly needed to help make future conservation activities as efficient as possible.

The ongoing destruction of habitats in the tropics accelerates the current rate of species extinction. Range-restricted species are exceptionally vulnerable, yet we have insufficient knowledge about their protection. Species’ current distributions, range sizes, and protection gaps are crucial to determining conservation priorities. Here, we identified priority range-restricted bird species and their conservation hotspots in the Northern Andes. We employed maps of the Area of Habitat (AOH), that better reflect their current distributions than existing maps. AOH provides unprecedented resolution and maps a species in the detail essential for practical conservation actions. We estimated protection within each species’ AOH and for the cumulative distribution of all 335 forest-dependent range-restricted birds across the Northern Andes. For the latter, we also calculated protection across the elevational gradient. We estimated how much additional protection community lands (Indigenous and Afro-Latin American lands) would contribute if they were conservation-focused. AOHs ranged from 8 to 141,000 km2. We identified four conservation priorities based on cumulative species richness: the number of AOHs stacked per unit area. These priorities are high-resolution mapped representations of Endemic Bird Areas for the Tropical Andes that we consider critically important. Protected areas cover only 31% of the cumulative AOH, but community lands could add 19% more protection. Sixty-two per cent of the 335 species have ranges smaller than their published estimates, yet IUCN designates only 23% of these as Threatened. We identified 50 species as top conservation priorities. Most of these concentrate in areas of low protection near community lands and at middle elevations where, on average, only 34% of the land is protected. We highlight the importance of collaborative efforts among stakeholders: governments should support private and community-based conservation practices to protect the region with the most range-restricted birds worldwide.

Following severe anthropogenic pressure from rapid economic development, wetland biodiversity is now decreasing alarmingly, thus leading to adverse effects. Protected areas (PAs) can be crucial conservation tools to secure wetland biodiversity. However, whether these PAs exhibit high conservation efficiency in buffering wildlife and habitats from human pressures needs to be understood. Given their sensitivity to habitat quality and regional resource changes, threatened waterfowl could be suitable wetland ecosystem indicators. This study examined the conservation effectiveness of Henan Yellow River Wetland National Nature Reserve (HYRWNNR), which is a crucial region on the East Asia–Australia route for global bird migration. We performed Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) modeling based on field survey data of the 19 threatened waterfowl species, and Human Impact Index (HII) was further mapped with waterfowls distribution to identify the conservation gap and priorities of the HYRWNNR. The results indicated that threatened waterfowl distribution were affected by both environmental factors and human pressure, and a conservation gap existed in the HYRWNNR. Two conservation scenarios were generated based on the spatial pattern of conservation priorities, and their corresponding management strategies were suggested. This study identifies conservation priorities from a novel perspective by synthesizing habitat suitability and human pressure, which can present basic information regarding the HYRWNNR management while supporting waterfowl conservation planning, ultimately promoting wetland habitats sustainability.

Threatened medicinal plants in China: Distributions and conservation priorities

Biodiversity conservation gaps in Brazil: A role for systematic conservation planning


 
 
 Se hizo una evaluación en el 2009 de la cobertura de los tipos de vegetación existentes en las Áreas Naturales Protegidas (ANP) en Durango y los hexágonos prioritarios generados por la CONABIO para identificar las prioridades de conservación. Se utilizó el programa de análisis de vacíos y omisiones de conservación (gap) de los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica y un análisis de componentes principales. En el estado se registran 38 tipos de vegetación natural con una extensión de 9’629,553 ha, que representan 78 % de la superficie; 19 fitocenosis son vacíos de conservación que se distribuyen principalmente en la región central de la entidad y 17 corresponden a omisiones de conservación. La vegetación halófila y el pastizal halófilo en condición primaria constituyen proporciones superiores a 12 % (media nacional protegida); sin embargo, sólo equivalen a 2.2 % del territorio, con una extensión de 208,341 ha y se localizan en la Reserva de la Biosfera Mapimí. Con la incorporación de los hexágonos de importancia extrema, cuya extensión es de 141,335 ha, el número de asociaciones vegetales consideradas vacíos de conservación disminuyen a 15. De igual manera, con la suma de los hexágonos prioritarios, que abarcan 2’952,521 ha se cubren 15 de las 19 fitocenosis. No obstante los resultados obtenidos en el presente estudio para determinar las prioridades de conservación del estado de Durango, es necesario realizar trabajos específicos sobre los patrones de distribución de las especies, de las endémicas y en riesgo de extinción, en particular.
 
 

中国大陆沿海水鸟栖息地保护优先区及空缺分析

The decline in biodiversity poses a serious threat to natural ecosystems and has become one of the most pressing global environmental issues. Establishing conservation priorities for protected areas (PAs) is one of the most direct and effective biodiversity conservation measures. However, conservation gaps arise as a result of existing problems in spatial layout of PAs, including overlapping protection scopes, artificial fragmentation of natural ecological regions, as well as "over-protection" and "over-exploitation." To optimize the spatial layout of PAs and improve the efficiency of biodiversity conservation, we employed the Habitat Quality module of the Integrated Assessment of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model and the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model to assess the PAs in the Songnen Plain, China. The combined model (MaxEnt-InVEST) revealed that the conservation priorities for PAs in the Songnen Plain occupied a total area of 14,764.14 km2 (10.24% of the total area of the Songnen Plain). The conservation priorities outside PAs occupied a total area of 7858.45 km2 (5.45% of the total area of the Songnen Plain) and were primarily distributed in the northeastern, central, and southwestern regions of the Songnen Plain. This indicated that existing PAs did not offer adequate protection for local biodiversity. The consistency of our combined modeling framework was 72.11%, which enabled a more accurate assessment of biodiversity hotspots and respects the land uses of the Songnen Plain. In addition, the modeling framework successfully created maps of conservation gaps of biodiversity hotspots based on actual species distribution data and considers current land uses. Our study was aimed at optimizing the spatial conservation efficiency of the Songnen Plain by assessing the conservation gaps in the Songnen Plain. It could provide a reference for the future development of a PA system centering on national parks.

Bridging the “gap” in systematic conservation planning

Since 2017, the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection of North Rhine-Westphalia (LANUV) has established an operational environmental and sustainability management and set specific objectives to reach operational carbon neutrality. In this context, central questions aim at the availability of financial and human resources, the competition with other duties as well as the necessary involvement of the staff. Based on the practical example of LANUV, this article presents concrete activities, e.g., in context of mobility or human resources, as well as the challenges connected to them. While single measures do have a positive impact, a structural approach, like the set-up of an environmental management system (e.g., EMAS—Eco-Management and Audit Scheme), is found to be more effective. In addition, success factors are identified such as distinct structures and responsibilities, a capable person in charge of the process, and commitment on the management level, as well as challenges like the lack of governmental objectives and obligations or limited human and financial resources. This article follows the idea of a case report in a transdisciplinary manner, presenting ideas for enhancement and shedding a light on a possible spread of sustainability endeavors to other national institutions.

The establishment of conservation areas is considered one of the most effective approaches to address biodiversity loss with limited resources. Identifying hotspots of plant diversity and conservation gaps has played a crucial role in optimizing conservation areas. Utilizing diverse types of research data can effectively enhance the recognition of hotspots and conservation gaps. Phenotypic trait diversity is a functional biogeography that analyzes the geographic distribution patterns, formation, and reasons for the development of specific or multiple phenotypic traits of organisms. Flower color and fruit color phenotypic traits are primary characteristics through which plants interact with other organisms, affecting their own survival and reproduction, and that of their offspring. This study utilized data from 1923 Phenotypic Trait Diversity Species (PTDS) with flower and fruit color characteristics to optimize conservation areas in the Shaanxi Qinling Mountains. Additionally, data from 1838 endemic species (ES), 190 threatened species (TS), and 119 protected species (PS) were used for validation. The data were primarily sourced from the Catalogue of Vascular Plants in Shaanxi, supplemented by the Chinese Virtual Herbarium and the Shaanxi Digital Herbarium. The results reveal that by comparing the existing conservation area boundaries with those determined by four types of data, conservation gaps are found in 14 counties in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi. The existing conservation area only accounts for 13.3% of the area determined by the four types of data. There are gaps in biodiversity conservation in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi, and the macroscopic use of plant phenotypic trait data contributes to optimizing these conservation gaps.

Map-based prioritization systems have become ubiquitous tools for allocating resources for biological conservation. Although the scientific basis for these systems continues to be debated, they have become a significant factor in international conservation. A recent study found that published conservation priorities are associated with over one third of conservation spending by major international nongovernmental organizations totaling over $1.5 X 109 in 2002 alone. The growing influence of these systems on the allocation of resources for conservation underscores the need to understand their ecological and environmental implications. This paper addresses the role of global priorities in contributing to the future of land protection by considering three key questions: (1) What are the implications of business-asusual growth in land protection for the representation of biodiversity, i.e., the absence of priorities? (2) Would implementing global conservation prioritization systems change trends in biodiversity representation, i.e., conservation following priorities? (3) What are the implications of priority systemguided protected area growth for ecosystem services beyond biodiversity representation, i.e., nontarget consequences of implementation? These questions are addressed with analyses of information from the World Database for Protected Areas and the Global Gap Analysis. The results indicate that business-asusual growth in land protection will fill gaps slowly, most likely at a rate equivalent to chance. Following global priority systems would accelerate conservation of unprotected biodiversity, gap species; however, achieving these gains would exacerbate the current highly uneven global distribution of protected areas. The majority of areas targeted by priority systems already have above average levels of protection and additions following global priority systems would encourage growth in these already above average countries. Over time, these patterns could contribute to uneven distributions of important ecosystem services. This observation does not detract from the value of global priority systems for biodiversity conservation, but it does highlight their limitations and suggest the need for more comprehensive approaches to planning and prioritizing future land protection.

Objective:This study examined the health equity initiatives included in US hospitals' strategic plans.Methods:Using data from the American Hospital Association (AHA) 2021 Annual Survey, the study described the types of health equity initiatives that US hospitals included in their strategic plans. The analysis focused on the following seven initiatives: (1) equitable and inclusive organizational policies; (2) systematic and shared accountability for health equity; (3) diverse representation in hospital and health care system leadership; (4) diverse representation in hospital and health care system governance; (5) community engagement; (6) collection and use of segmented data to drive action; and (7) culturally appropriate patient care. Logit and zero-truncated Poisson regression analysis was used to examine organizational and community-level characteristics of hospitals with the most comprehensive health equity strategic plans.Results:Of the 4359 general medical and surgical hospitals that completed the AHA's 2021 survey, 45.1% provided complete information on their health equity strategies. The comprehensiveness of hospitals' health equity efforts varied across organizations. Regression analysis showed that larger hospitals, nonprofit hospitals, and hospitals affiliated with health systems tended to have more comprehensive health equity initiatives as did hospitals located in urban areas, hospitals in communities with higher household incomes, and hospitals in communities with greater proportions of Hispanic residents.Conclusions:While improving health and health equity is a key aspect of many hospitals' missions, the extent to which hospitals include health equity initiatives into their strategic plans varied noticeably. Committing to a comprehensive set of efforts aimed at improving health equity requires human and financial resources as well as dedicated leadership.