Threats and Vision for the Conservation of Galápagos Birds

Abstract: Introduction. The fundamental goal of our state in the sphere of the use and protection of aquatic biological resources is the comprehensive enforcement of thelegislation not only by economic entities, but also by all parties concerned, aimed at conservation of biological natural resources. Fishingfor some small northern peoples of Russia is their means of existence, and for example, in the coastal regions of Kamchatka, Primorsky and Sakhalin Territory and some others, fishing is the main type of employment for the population living there. Despite this, it should not be forgotten that biological resources as alimentary raw materials are restored under conditions of their rational use and control by the state. Ill-considered and irrational use of biological resources will ultimately lead to the complete disappearance of aquatic biological resources. In recent years, a significant increase in offenses related to the use of aquatic biological resources has been recorded in the Russian Federation. In this regard, law enforcement agencies, state control and supervision bodies in the sphere of protection of aquatic biological resources jointly carry out many preventive measures to counter such offenses and to identify the causes and conditions of their commission. Methods. Working on the paper, we used the research method, methods of analysis of the current legislation, as well as available statistical indicators of the activities of territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia on transport and othergovernment institutions exercising supervision, control and protection of aquatic biological resources. Results.This article discusses administrative offenses inthe sphere of illegal harvesting of aquatic bioresources and preventive measures taken bytransport police agencies to hinder the violations in question. The statistics of preventive measures carried outbyterritorial law enforcement bodies on transport and other government institutions exercising supervision, control and protection of aquatic biological resourcesare analyzed. The main areas of activity and measures taken by the relevant authorities to prevent offenses in the sphere of illegal harvesting of aquatic biological resources are also highlighted.

Insects and the plant surface: B.E. Juniper and R. Southwood (Editors), Edward Arnold, London, 1986, 360 pp., £32.50, cloth, ISBN: 0-7131-2909-3

Conservation of carnivorous plants in the age of extinction

The establishment of baseline IUCN Red List assessments for plants is a crucial step in conservation planning. Nowhere is this more important than in biodiversity hotspots that are subject to significant anthropogenic pressures, such as Madagascar. Here, all Madagascar palm species are assessed using the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, version 3.1. Our results indicate that 83% of the 192 endemic species are threatened, nearly four times the proportion estimated for plants globally and exceeding estimates for all other comprehensively evaluated plant groups in Madagascar. Compared with a previous assessment in 1995, the number of Endangered and Critically Endangered species has substantially increased, due to the discovery of 28 new species since 1995, most of which are highly threatened. The conservation status of most species included in both the 1995 and the current assessments has not changed. Where change occurred, more species have moved to lower threat categories than to higher categories, because of improved knowledge of species and their distributions, rather than a decrease in extinction risk. However, some cases of genuine deterioration in conservation status were also identified. Palms in Madagascar are primarily threatened by habitat loss due to agriculture and biological resource use through direct exploitation or collateral damage. The recent extension of Madagascar’s protected area network is highly beneficial for palms, substantially increasing the number of threatened species populations included within reserves. Notably, three of the eight most important protected areas for palms are newly designated. However, 28 threatened and data deficient species are not protected by the expanded network, including some Critically Endangered species. Moreover, many species occurring in protected areas are still threatened, indicating that threatening processes persist even in reserves. Definitive implementation of the new protected areas combined with local community engagement are essential for the survival of Madagascar’s palms.

This paper discusses the threats to the running water habitats that are highly important to biodiversity the European Community in the Continental Biogeographical Region (CBR) of Europe, specifically in Poland. This study covers four water course habitat types distinguished in Natura 2000, which is a network of nature protection areas in the territory (3260, 3220, 3240, 3270 - the code of the habitat, as in Annex I of the Habitat Directive), occurring in 806 Special Areas of Conservation in Poland. Based on a multivariate analysis, we found significant differences in the conservation status of running water habitats resulting from a variety of threats, pressures, and activities. Agriculture has a number of negative impacts on running water habitats, which are most evident for the following habitats: 3260 > 3270. Forest management may have both negative (3260) and positive effects on habitats (3270). Natural system modifications strongly affect habitats 3240, 3270 > 3260. Among the negative anthropogenic influences are pollution (3260 > 3220); human intrusions, disturbances, and tourism (reported most often) (3260, 3270); transportation and service corridors (3260, and 3270); urbanization, residential, and commercial development tourism (3260); biological resource use other than for agriculture and forestry (3270 > 3260); and mining, extraction of materials, and energy production (3270). Geological events and natural catastrophes—most often inundation—were identified as important hazards for habitat 3240. The development of alien and invasive species strongly affects habitats 3240 > 3260, 3270, and natural biotic and abiotic processes affect habitats 3220 > 3260. Negative impacts associated with climate change were detected mostly for habitat 3260. Taking into account the threats identified, a list of recommended practices for running water habitat types is presented, to be considered in habitat conservation programmes.

Distribution and Habitat Affinity of Endemic and Threatened Species: Global and European Assessment

Marine biological resources in general and biological resources of the deep sea and the deep seabed in particular are threatened by a variety of human activities. Those activities considered marine scientific research and related activities such as scientific sampling and bioprospecting can pose a threat to the conservation of these biological resources if performed in an unrestricted manner. Whether legal rules on marine scientific research should be applicable to highly commercial activities such as bioprospecting is doubtful. The current legal regulations provided by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Convention on Biological Diversity are not designed to provide for an adequate regime on the protection of biological resources in areas located outside national sovereignty. As a result, a new treaty on the protection and sustainable use of marine biological resources located outside national jurisdiction is necessary and must focus upon a common heritage approach. An institutional framework for such a regime can either be newly established together with an agreement or be established by an existing institution e.g. the International Seabed Authority.

Marine biological resources in general and biological resources of the deep sea and the deep seabed in particular are threatened by a variety of human activities. Those activities considered marine scientific research and related activities such as scientific sampling and bioprospecting can pose a threat to the conservation of these biological resources if performed in an unrestricted manner. Whether legal rules on marine scientific research should be applicable to highly commercial activities such as bioprospecting is doubtful. The current legal regulations provided by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Convention on Biological Diversity are not designed to provide for an adequate regime on the protection of biological resources in areas located outside national sovereignty. As a result, a new treaty on the protection and sustainable use of marine biological resources located outside national jurisdiction is necessary and must focus upon a common heritage approach. An institutional framework for such a regime can either be newly established together with an agreement or be established by an existing institution e.g. the International Seabed Authority.

Threat mapping is a necessary tool for identifying and abating direct threats to species in the ongoing extinction crisis. There are known gaps in the threat mapping literature for particular threats and geographic locations, and it remains unclear if the distribution of research effort is appropriately targeted relative to conservation need. We aimed to determine the drivers of threat mapping research effort and to quantify gaps that, if filled, could inform actions with the highest potential to reduce species' extinction risk. We used a negative binomial generalized linear model to analyze research effort as a function of threat abatement potential (quantified as the potential reduction in species extinction risk from abating threats), species richness, land area, and human pressure. The model showed that threat mapping research effort increased by 1.1 to 1.2 times per standardized unit change in threat abatement potential. However, species richness and land area were stronger predictors of research effort overall. The greatest areas of mismatch between research effort and threat abatement potential, receiving disproportionately low research effort, were related to the threats to species of agriculture, aquaculture, and biological resource use across the tropical regions of the Americas, Asia, and Madagascar. Conversely, the threat of linear infrastructure (e.g., roads and rails) across regions, the threat of biological resource use (e.g., hunting or collection) in sub-Saharan Africa, and overall threats in North America and Europe all received disproportionately high research effort. We discuss the range of methodological and sociopolitical factors that may be behind the overall trends and specific areas of mismatch we found. We urge a stronger emphasis on targeting research effort toward those threats and geographic locations where threat abatement activities could make the greatest contribution to reducing global species extinction risk.

Assessing worth of marine protected areas for the protection of threatened biodiversity using IUCN Red List and Red List Index. A pilot study in six mediterranean areas

Over the past decades, primate populations have been declining. Four years ago, >60% of species were listed as threatened. As the rate of loss accelerates and new IUCN assessments are being published, we used IUCN Red List assessments and peer-reviewed literature published within the last 5 yr to evaluate the status of primates globally, by region and by taxonomic group. We also examined the main factors affecting a species’ conservation status to determine if we could predict the status of understudied species. We found that 65% of species are in the top three IUCN Red List categories (Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered). Globally, the main threats to primates are Biological Resource Use, including Hunting & Logging, and Agriculture. The impact of these threats varied by region and taxon. Our model showed that Malagasy and Asian primates, and those affected by Agriculture, Human Disturbance, and Climate Change were more likely to be considered at risk of extinction. The model’s predictive probability, however, was low. Our literature analysis showed that some threats, especially climate change and disease, affected more species than indicated by the IUCN Red List. As we move into the next decade, we must continue tackling hunting and agricultural expansion but also be vigilant about emerging threats. We must also aim to regularly test the effectiveness of mitigation strategies, evaluating their long-term adoption and their impact on primates; as well as to increase communication between researchers and applied conservationists to ensure IUCN assessments include current and emerging threats.

The European Red List of Habitats provides an overview of the risk of collapse (degree of endangerment) of marine, terrestrial and freshwater habitats in the European Union (EU28) and adjacent regions (EU28+), based on a consistent set of categories and criteria, and detailed data and expert knowledge from involved countries1. A total of 257 benthic marine habitat types were assessed. In total, 19% (EU28) and 18% (EU28+) of the evaluated habitats were assessed as threatened in categories Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable. An additional 12% were Near Threatened in the EU28 and 11% in the EU28+. These figures are approximately doubled if Data Deficient habitats are excluded. The percentage of threatened habitat types differs across the regional seas. The highest proportion of threatened habitats in the EU28 was found in the Mediterranean Sea (32%), followed by the North-East Atlantic (23%), the Black Sea (13%) and then the Baltic Sea (8%). There was a similar pattern in the EU28+. The most frequently cited pressures and threats were similar across the four regional seas: pollution (eutrophication), biological resource use other than agriculture or forestry (mainly fishing but also aquaculture), natural system modifications (e.g. dredging and sea defence works), urbanisation and climate change. Even for habitats where the assessment outcome was Data Deficient, the Red List assessment process has resulted in the compilation of a substantial body of useful information to support the conservation of marine habitats

Integrated Marine and coastal management: a strategy for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological resources in the Socotra Archipelago, Yemen

India being a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) owed an obligation to upkeep its legislative, executive, and judicial mechanism to perform its threefold objectives, i.e. conservation, sustainable use of biological resources, and sharing fair and equitable benefits arising out of the use of resources. Being the pioneers of framing biological diversity laws to protect its biological diversity, India emerged as a global biodiversity leader. The preamble to the Biological Diversity Act (2002) reiterates the commitment of the Government of India to protect and preserve its natural resources. The chapter discusses the legal aspects of conservation and sustainability of biological resources on Indian soil. It further stipulates the framework for ensuring compliance with the principle of fair and equitable benefit sharing through its access to the benefit-sharing mechanism. The significance of scientific research and technology in conservation and sustainable use of biological resources have been precisely elaborated in the chapter with the help of relevant provisions. The chapter gives a bird’s eye view of the legal implications of the Biological Diversity Act (2002) on the research fraternity working in the sciences., law and other relevant disciplines. It elaborates the procedure of accessing the biological resources and also provides critical insights highlighting the grey areas for proper implementation of the Act and realization of its objectives to conserve and ensure sustainable use of the biological wealth of India.KeywordsAccessAccess to benefit sharingBiological resourcesCommercial utilizationConvention on biological diversity (CBD)Foreign nationalIntellectual property knowledgeNational biodiversity authority (NBA)ResearchResultsTraditional knowledgeSustainable use

Central America contains a rich diversity of freshwater habitats that support more than 600 species of freshwater fishes. However, despite several perceived threats to the integrity of the freshwater habitats throughout the region, a formal analysis of extinction risk for the region’s ichthyofauna is lacking. In this manuscript, we report an updated checklist of species and a novel comprehensive assessment of the conservation status of Central American freshwater fishes by applying the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria to species at the global level. We also analyze the distribution of freshwater fishes across Central America and generate baseline geospatial data that can be used in multi-species conservation planning processes, which is available through the Red List Website. Our results indicate that between 15 and 28% of freshwater fishes in the region are threatened with extinction, with considerable uncertainty resulting from elevated data deficiency. We identify major and widespread threats in the region, including pollution, agriculture, aquaculture, biological resource use, natural system modifications, invasive species, and land development. This analysis represents an important first step in formulating effective conservation planning and action initiatives for a taxonomic group that historically has received few protections and can be used to inform conservation priorities of freshwater ecosystems at both national and regional scales.