Areas Of Conservation Concern Research Articles

Protecting fish and farms: Incentivising adoption of modern fish-protection screens for water pumps and gravity-fed diversions in Australia

Modern fish-protection screens offer significant potential benefits for Australia. The Commonwealth and New South Wales (NSW) governments have invested over $30m to incentivise early adoption by water users. However, successful adoption requires an understanding of the motivations and abilities of water users, and strategies to overcome key barriers to adoption. Four practices have been used by the NSW Government to strengthen understanding of stakeholders and encourage participation in incentive programs by water users. These are: applying social learning concepts to screening programs; evaluating stakeholder needs; identifying and mapping stakeholders and their relationships; and, integrating science in communication and engagement. Analysing the motivations and abilities of water users revealed three key motivations: to save money, to protect fish, and to improve their reputation or social licence to operate. However, the ability of water users to install a fish-protection screen was found to vary significantly. A range of barriers have been identified by water users in NSW, and solutions or strategies developed to address each one. Today, in Australia, over 2,000 ML/day of water is being delivered through modern fish-protection screens, protecting ~580,000 native fish annually at 31 sites across NSW, Victoria and Queensland (60% being in NSW). Existing investment may see these numbers increase to ~7,000 ML/day and ~2 million native fish/yr by June 2024. The application of the methods to understand and strategically engage with stakeholders should enable improved uptake of screening technologies in other jurisdictions and areas of conservation concern into the future.

Effects of Dams on Vertebrate Diversity: A Global Analysis

Dams are crucial for water supply in human populations and are becoming more common globally for hydroelectric power generation. Dams alter natural habitats and their biodiversity; however, studies are inconclusive about their effects on them. This study aimed to examine the effects of dams on vertebrates and the determinants of changes in global biodiversity and their relationship with critical areas for conservation. We evaluated the effects of dams on vertebrate richness and abundance. We performed a meta-analysis based on 120 case studies. We evaluated the overall effect on richness and abundance and examined these effects regarding taxa, disturbance type, latitudinal zone, zoogeographic zone, biodiversity hotspots, dam size and purpose, and species extinction risk. We conducted an overall analysis that included all species, and then we conducted separate analyses for terrestrial and aquatic species. Dams had a negative effect on vertebrate richness but not on vertebrate abundance. These effects were influenced by larger dams with fragmentation and were more pronounced within hotspots and in countries with a low species extinction risk. Such negative effects were explained by terrestrial vertebrates (particularly birds and mammals) because species richness and the abundance of aquatic vertebrates (fish) were not affected by dams in any case. Our results showed that habitat fragmentation created by large dams changes vertebrate communities, negatively affecting species richness in some areas of conservation concern. We propose implementing reservoirs in areas where they would have a lower impact on biodiversity and avoiding large dams in priority areas for conservation and where endangered species inhabit.

Impacts of dogs on urban grassland ecosystems

Dog walking is a highly popular leisure activity in cities around the globe. It is also a controversial issue for urban conservation and green space management due to presumed ecological impacts of dogs. Yet regulations allowing or prohibiting the presence of dogs in areas of conservation concern are rarely based on demonstrated effects of dogs on urban nature. To unravel the relationships between the presence of dogs at a site and soil features and plant and animal diversity, we selected dry grassland as our study system since this type of ecosystem is of conservation concern in many cities and is frequently used for dog walking. We combined data on the number and movement patterns of dogs and their owners in 52 dry grassland patches in Berlin, Germany, to create a novel index of dog presence and activity. We then analysed the relationship between the index and soil features, species richness of plants and seven invertebrate taxa, and abundances of sand lizards, a species of particular conservation interest. Generalised linear models revealed significant relationships between the dog index and one soil parameter and some biodiversity measures. The dog index was positively related to phosphorus and non-native plant richness but negatively to spider diversity. While dogs may facilitate biological invasions, likely through a combination of eutrophication and disturbance, overall relationships with general species richness or richness of endangered plant or animal species were weak. These results indicate opportunities for reconciling urban nature conservation with moderate dog walking in urban grassland areas. Still, urban policies should consider remaining dog-related risks in other ecosystem types - a promising direction for further urban research.

Between approval and disapproval: Citizens’ views on the invasive tree Ailanthus altissima and its management

While cities are invasion hotspots, the view of urban residents on non-native species is critically understudied – an important knowledge gap since strategies on biological invasions could gain power by integrating human values, attitudes and perceptions. How citizens perceive the non-native tree Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven) is unknown despite its abundance in many cities globally and its classification as invasive in many countries. In a quantitative survey with closed questions, we analysed (i) whether residents of Berlin, Germany knew the widespread species, (ii) how they perceived it in different urban situations, (iii) how they accepted different management strategies of it, and (iv) how the sociodemographic background of respondents predicted their preference and acceptability ratings. In total, we surveyed 196 respondents. Most respondents recognized the tree in a photograph, but few provided its correct name. Citizens’ preferences differed significantly among four urban contexts in which the species was shown, with prevailing approval for trees as a component of designed green spaces and less pronounced preferences for wild-grown trees in other urban spaces. When respondents were asked to indicate how the tree should be managed (three options), we found the most support for removal in problematic cases (‘adaptive on-site’ strategy); some support was found for the ‘leave alone’ strategy and least support for the ‘complete removal’ management strategy. Practitioners with expertise in urban landscaping were more critical of Ailanthus than laypeople. Ordinal logistic regression analyses showed that respondents with a ‘close to nature’ behaviour and attitude had a more positive view on Ailanthus and expressed more support for ‘leave alone’ management. Results demonstrate the importance of citizens’ context dependent views about a widespread invasive species, spanning from approval to disapproval in different situations. We conclude that urban management strategies concerning Ailanthus would gain support from citizens when combining multiple approaches: (i) to control the species in case of realized negative impacts; (ii) to prevent the invasion of the species in areas of conservation concern; and (iii) to develop novel approaches of integrating wild Ailanthus trees into urban green spaces. These insights could support management measures that need to be established due to the EU-Regulation on Invasive Alien Species.

Profiling native and introduced perennial garden plants in Puerto Rican urban residential yards

AbstractWorldwide the number of non-native species escaping from cultivation into native habitats is steadily increasing with no signs of saturation. Species that eventually become invasive may generate unwanted social and ecological conditions especially in areas of conservation concern. This study built upon prior biodiversity work from 432 residential yards in the San Juan Metropolitan Area of Puerto Rico to evaluate the natural history and functional traits of native and non-native plant species in these green spaces. We reviewed the literature for a total of 361 plant species to extract information on their taxonomy, native distribution range, invasive status (casual, naturalized or invasive), life-form and ecological and biological species attributes. We then evaluated the relationship between their attributes and their probability of escaping cultivation and become invasive. Our results show that non-native species growing in yards are more likely to succeed in becoming invasive if they have vegetative growth, a mixed breeding system, and an unspecialized dispersal mode. We also found that native and non-native species occurring in residential yards share similar adaptive strategy scores. Most plant species that have already become invasive originated from Asia and America a fact that is likely tied to the US nursery trade. We used the combined results of this and prior studies to understand the factors facilitating plant invasion and to generate recommendations for the development of management strategies that may limit the spread of non-native ornamentals with the potential to escape cultivation and become invasive on this island.

Olfactory lures in predator control do not increase predation risk to birds in areas of conservation concern

Abstract Context Lethal control of predators is often undertaken to protect species of conservation concern. Traps are frequently baited to increase capture efficacy, but baited traps can potentially increase predation risk by attracting predators to protected areas. This is especially important if targeted predators can escape capture due to low trap success. Snake traps using live mouse lures may be beneficial if traps effectively remove snakes in the presence of birds and do not attract additional snakes to the area. Aims The present study evaluated whether mouse-lure traps in areas occupied by birds (simulated by deploying bird-lure traps) could influence predation risk from an invasive snake on Guam. Methods Snake traps were used, with Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) as a proxy for predation risk, to assess if an adjacent trap with a mouse (Mus musculus) would attract brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) to a focal area and increase contact between an invasive snake and avian prey. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) at stations containing either a bird-lure trap, mouse-lure trap or pair of traps (i.e. one bird-lure and one mouse-lure trap) was evaluated. Key results Bird-lure traps paired with mouse-lure traps did not differ in CPUE from isolated bird-lure traps. At paired stations, CPUE of snakes in mouse-lure traps was 2.3× higher than bird-lure traps, suggesting mouse lures were capable of drawing snakes away from avian prey. Bird-lure traps at paired stations experienced a decay in captures over time, whereas CPUE for isolated bird-lure traps increased after 9 weeks and exceeded mouse-lure traps after 7 weeks. Conclusions Mouse lures did not increase the risk of snakes being captured in bird-lure traps. Instead, mouse-lure traps may have locally suppressed snakes, whereas stations without mouse-lure traps still had snakes in the focal area, putting avian prey at greater risk. However, snakes caught with bird lures tended to be larger and in better body condition, suggesting preference for avian prey over mammalian prey in larger snakes. Implications Strategic placement of olfactory traps within areas of conservation concern may be beneficial for protecting birds of conservation concern from an invasive snake predator.

Global conservation status of the world's most prominent forage fishes (Teleostei: Clupeiformes)

Understanding the extinction risk of taxonomic groups increases our ability to prioritize efforts to address biodiversity loss. Over 400 species of herrings, shads, sardines, anchovies, menhadens, and relatives belong to the Order Clupeiformes and include many of the most important forage fishes. These small, schooling fishes are ecologically, economically, and culturally significant. However, despite their global contribution to fisheries and our increasing reliance on them for food and modern commodities, we lack critical information regarding basic biology and population trends for most species. We applied the IUCN Red List methodology, a comprehensive and systematic approach to assess extinction risk, to all clupeiform species. The best estimate suggests nearly 11% of species are of elevated conservation concern, although this could be as high as 36%. Two regions, the Caribbean and the Indo-Malay-Philippine Archipelago have high concentrations of threatened and Data Deficient species and are areas of conservation concern. Major threats include overexploitation, pollution, and habitat modification. Immediate conservation priorities include: 1) increasing research and mitigative action directed toward species assessed as threatened or Data Deficient; 2) improving fisheries management regulations for the understudied but heavily exploited species, and 3) promoting local, intensive habitat restoration to reduce pollution and remove dams. These extinction risk assessments and subsequent analyses should be used as an informative tool for fisheries and conservation managers and to monitor conservation progress.

Prioritizing Invasive Forest Plant Management Using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis in Minnesota, USA

Invasive plants are a concern in many forest ecosystems because they can impact tree regeneration and recruitment, alter hydrology, and degrade wildlife habitats. Management efforts are generally planned locally, based on the severity of the infestation, species involved, and characteristics of the forest stand. A broad, landscape-level context can provide additional information and help with planning efforts but is often lacking. In this study, we estimated landscape-level priorities for the management of five invasive forest plants in Minnesota. We used a multi-criteria decision analysis approach to integrate plant distribution models and data with geographic information about areas of conservation concern, recreational areas, and the economic benefits of treatment. The results varied across Ecological Classification System provinces and Minnesota native plant community classes. Four of the five invasive plants considered demonstrated an abundance of Medium- and High-priority areas for management in the Eastern Broadleaf Forest province of Minnesota. The average priority was generally lower in the Prairie Parklands and Tallgrass Aspen Parklands provinces, with Rhamnus cathartica as the only species demonstrating Medium or higher priorities in the latter. The mean priorities were Medium or higher for R. cathartica and Frangula alnus in mesic hardwood community types across the state, in addition to several fire-dependent systems. The priority distribution was most limited for Rosa multiflora, where the only Medium or higher priority results were found in a mesic hardwood system in the southeastern corner of the state. The results presented here highlight broad-scale patterns that can provide a synoptic overview of invasive plant priorities at the landscape scale.

Why do bugs perish? Range size and local vulnerability traits as surrogates of Odonata extinction risk.

Despite claims of an insect decline worldwide, our understanding of extinction risk in insects is incomplete. Using bionomic data of all odonate (603 dragonflies and damselflies) North American species, we assessed (i) regional extinction risk and whether this is related to local extirpation; (ii) whether these two patterns are similar altitudinally and latitudinally; and (iii) the areas of conservation concern. We used geographic range size as a predictor of regional extinction risk and body size, thermal limits and habitat association as predictors of local extirpation. We found that (i) greater regional extinction risk is related to narrow thermal limits, lotic habitat use and large body size (this in damselflies but not dragonflies); (ii) southern species are more climate tolerant but with more limited geographic range size than northern species; and (iii) two priority areas for odonate conservation are the cold temperate to sub-boreal northeastern USA and the transversal neo-volcanic system. Our approach can be used to estimate insect extinction risk as it compensates for the lack of abundance data.

Bacterial diversity in the waterholes of the Kruger National Park: an eDNA metabarcoding approach 1.

Bacteria are essential components of natural environments. They contribute to ecosystem functioning through roles as mutualists and pathogens for larger species, and as key components of food webs and nutrient cycles. Bacterial communities respond to environmental disturbances, and the tracking of these communities across space and time may serve as indicators of ecosystem health in areas of conservation concern. Recent advances in DNA sequencing of environmental samples allow for rapid and culture-free characterization of bacterial communities. Here we conduct the first metabarcoding survey of bacterial diversity in the waterholes of the Kruger National Park, South Africa. We show that eDNA can be amplified from waterholes and find strongly structured microbial communities, likely reflecting local abiotic conditions, animal ecology, and anthropogenic disturbance. Over timescales from days to weeks we find increased turnover in community composition, indicating bacteria may represent host-associated taxa of large vertebrates visiting the waterholes. Through taxonomic annotation we also identify pathogenic taxa, demonstrating the utility of eDNA metabarcoding for surveillance of infectious diseases. These samples serve as a baseline survey of bacterial diversity in the Kruger National Park, and in the future, spatially distinct microbial communities may be used as markers of ecosystem disturbance, or biotic homogenization across the park.

Subsistence lifestyles and insular forest loss in the Louisiade Archipelago of Papua New Guinea: an endemic hotspot

Insular areas of the south-west Pacific support high levels of global biodiversity and are undergoing rapid change. The Louisiade Archipelago of Papua New Guinea is a poorly known location with high levels of endemism. The largest island, Sudest Island, supports single-island endemic species and has the largest tract of forest remaining in this island group. The islands still support traditional subsistence lifestyles. This study investigated the patterns of forest loss since 1974 and predicted future forest loss to identify areas of conservation concern. We collected village population census data to assess population growth from 1979–2011. Historical vegetation mapping from 1974 was compared with Global Forest Change data from 2000–14. The geospatial drivers of forest loss were investigated using a generalised linear mixed model. Projected forest cover loss patterns in the islands were modelled in GEOMOD to the year 2030. Resident populations grew rapidly (6.0% per year, 1979–2011) but only a low rate of forest loss (e.g. −0.035% per year, Sudest Island) was observed between 1974 and 2014, restricted to low elevations near villages. Future modelling showed varied impacts on the remaining forest extents of the larger islands. The study offers a rare contemporary example of a biodiverse hotspot that has remained relatively secure. We concluded that local cultural and environmental settings of islands in the south-west Pacific can strongly determine the patterns and processes of forest cover change, and need to be considered in programs to conserve endemic diversity.

Flow Restoration in the Columbia River Basin: An Evaluation of a Flow Restoration Accounting Framework.

Securing environmental flows in support of freshwater biodiversity is an evolving field of practice. An example of a large-scale program dedicated to restoring environmental flows is the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, which has been restoring flows in dewatered tributary habitats for imperiled salmon species over the past decade. This paper discusses a four-tiered flow restoration accounting framework for tracking the implementation and impacts of water transactions as an effective tool for adaptive management. The flow restoration accounting framework provides compliance and flow accounting information to monitor transaction efficacy. We review the implementation of the flow restoration accounting framework monitoring framework to demonstrate (a) the extent of water transactions that have been implemented over the past decade, (b) the volumes of restored flow in meeting flow targets for restoring habitat for anadromous fish species, and (c) an example of aquatic habitat enhancement that resulted from Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program investments. Project results show that from 2002 to 2015, the Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program has completed more than 450 water rights transactions, restoring approximately 1.59 million megaliters to date, with an additional 10.98 million megaliters of flow protected for use over the next 100 years. This has resulted in the watering of over 2414 stream kilometers within the Columbia Basin. We conclude with a discussion of the insights gained through the implementation of the flow restoration accounting framework. Understanding the approach and efficacy of a monitoring framework applied across a large river basin can be informative to emerging flow-restoration and adaptive management efforts in areas of conservation concern.

Success stories and emerging themes in conservation physiology.

The potential benefits of physiology for conservation are well established and include greater specificity of management techniques, determination of cause-effect relationships, increased sensitivity of health and disturbance monitoring and greater capacity for predicting future change. While descriptions of the specific avenues in which conservation and physiology can be integrated are readily available and important to the continuing expansion of the discipline of 'conservation physiology', to date there has been no assessment of how the field has specifically contributed to conservation success. However, the goal of conservation physiology is to foster conservation solutions and it is therefore important to assess whether physiological approaches contribute to downstream conservation outcomes and management decisions. Here, we present eight areas of conservation concern, ranging from chemical contamination to invasive species to ecotourism, where physiological approaches have led to beneficial changes in human behaviour, management or policy. We also discuss the shared characteristics of these successes, identifying emerging themes in the discipline. Specifically, we conclude that conservation physiology: (i) goes beyond documenting change to provide solutions; (ii) offers a diversity of physiological metrics beyond glucocorticoids (stress hormones); (iii) includes approaches that are transferable among species, locations and times; (iv) simultaneously allows for human use and benefits to wildlife; and (v) is characterized by successes that can be difficult to find in the primary literature. Overall, we submit that the field of conservation physiology has a strong foundation of achievements characterized by a diversity of conservation issues, taxa, physiological traits, ecosystem types and spatial scales. We hope that these concrete successes will encourage the continued evolution and use of physiological tools within conservation-based research and management plans.

Accuracy Optimization for High Resolution Object-Based Change Detection: An Example Mapping Regional Urbanization with 1-m Aerial Imagery

The utility of land-cover change data is often derived from the intersection with other information, such as riparian buffers zones or other areas of conservation concern. In order to avoid error propagation, we wanted to optimize our change maps to have very low error rates. Our accuracy optimization methods doubled the number of total change locations mapped, and also increased the area of development related mapped change by 93%. The ratio of mapped to estimated change was increased from 76.3% to 86.6%. To achieve this, we used object-based change detection to assign a probability of change for each landscape unit derived from two dates of 1 m US National Agriculture Imagery Program data. We developed a rapid assessment tool to reduce analyst review time such that thousands of locations can be reviewed per day. We reviewed all change locations with probabilities above a series of thresholds to assess commission errors and the relative cost of decreasing acceptance thresholds. The resultant change maps had only change locations verified to be changed, thus eliminating commission error. This tool facilitated efficient development of large training sets in addition to greatly reducing the effort required to manually verify all predicted change locations. The efficiency gain allowed us to review locations with less than a 50% probability of change without inflating commission errors and, thus, increased our change detection rates while eliminating both commission errors and locations that would have been omission errors among the reviewed lower probability change locations.

Nest visits and capture events affect breeding success of Yellow-billed and Pacific loons

ABSTRACT Accurate estimates of breeding success are essential for understanding population dynamics and for managing populations. Unfortunately, research activities to collect these data can negatively impact the breeding success of the study species and bias estimates of breeding success. Despite the potential for negative impacts, few studies have documented the effect of capturing incubating adults on nest survival or compared nest survival following different capture methods. In this study we evaluate the impacts of investigator disturbance associated with captures and nest visits on nest survival of Yellow-billed Loons (Gavia adamsii) and Pacific Loons (Gavia pacifica) in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), an area of conservation concern, in 2011–2013. In an effort to reduce capture-related nest failures, we developed a new suspended dive net technique to catch territorial aquatic birds while off their nests. We then compared nest survival following suspended dive net captures to bow-net ...

Argentine Ant Management in Conservation Areas: Results of a Pilot Study

Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) have invaded many areas of conservation concern, including half of the California Channel Islands. On Santa Cruz Island, the species has invaded approximately 2% of the island, and the infestations are expanding. Argentine ants displace many other invertebrates, and their expansion throughout the island could lead to the extirpation of native invertebrate species and the disruption of key ecological processes (e.g., plant-pollinator interactions and seed dispersal). We describe a treatment protocol to manage or eliminate Argentine ants on Santa Cruz Island developed by The Nature Conservancy and the National Park Service, in collaboration with academic and pest control specialists. We combined low-concentration toxicant baits with efficient dispersal methods to treat landscape-scale Argentine ant infestations in rugged terrain and dense vegetation with minimal impact to nontarget species. From May to October 2012, we applied our baiting protocol within 2 study sites, totaling 7.8 ha on Santa Cruz Island. In May 2013, one year post treatment, we observed >99% reduction in Argentine ant activity in treatment plots compared to untreated plots, using 2 different monitoring techniques. While further testing and monitoring is needed, these results suggest this protocol may be an effective tool to eliminate Argentine ant infestations from this type of habitat and terrain.

A New Species of theLeptopelis modestusComplex (Anura: Arthroleptidae) from the Albertine Rift of Central Africa

Abstract We describe a new species of Leptopelis from the L. modestus complex. The new species is described from forest and lacustrine habitats of the Albertine Rift of Central Africa, is superficially similar to topotypic L. modestus from Cameroon, but it is distinguished by advertisement call, morphology, and sequences of 16S, cyt b, and RAG1. The new species is yet another amphibian that occurs in the Itombwe Plateau, further solidifying the position of the plateau as an area of conservation concern.

Human-Related Factors Regulate the Spatial Ecology of Domestic Cats in Sensitive Areas for Conservation

BackgroundDomestic cats ranging freely in natural areas are a conservation concern due to competition, predation, disease transmission or hybridization with wildcats. In order to improve our ability to design effective control policies, we investigate the factors affecting their numbers and space use in natural areas of continental Europe.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe describe the patterns of cat presence, abundance and space use and analyse the associated environmental and human constraints in a well-preserved Mediterranean natural area with small scattered local farms. We failed in detecting cats in areas away from human settlements (trapping effort above 4000 trap-nights), while we captured 30 individuals near inhabited farms. We identified 130 cats, all of them in farms still in use by people (30% of 128 farms). All cats were free-ranging and very wary of people. The main factor explaining the presence of cats was the presence of people, while the number of cats per farm was mostly affected by the occasional food provisioning with human refuse and the presence of people. The home ranges of eight radio tagged cats were centred at inhabited farms. Males went furthest away from the farms during the mating season (3.8 km on average, maximum 6.3 km), using inhabited farms as stepping-stones in their mating displacements (2.2 km of maximum inter-farm distance moved). In their daily movements, cats notably avoided entering in areas with high fox density.ConclusionsThe presence, abundance and space use of cats were heavily dependent on human settlements. Any strategy aiming at reducing their impact in areas of conservation concern should aim at the presence of settlements and their spatial spread and avoid any access to human refuse. The movements of domestic cats would be limited in areas with large patches of natural vegetation providing good conditions for other carnivore mammals such as red foxes.

Interactions Between the Invasive New Zealand Mudsnail (Potamopyrgus Antipodarum) and a Native Snail (Fossaria Bakerilymnaea Bulimoides Group) in the Greater Yeelowstone

Understanding invasive species impacts is critical to determining how an ecosystem may function after an introduction. Invasive species can alter the structure and function of ecosystems, reduce biological diversity, and alter communities through predation, facilitation and competition. In the past 30 years, the invasive New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) has established in areas of conservation concern in the American West including Yellowstone National Park. To develop a greater understanding of the impact of P. antipodarum on the native co-occurring snail, Fossaria (Bakerilymnaea) bulimoides group, we conducted two experiments to assess the interactions occurring between these snails. We found that F. bulimoides growth was reduced by all interactors, but especially by P. antipodarum. In addition, growth of F. bulimoides was much more affected by high biomass of snails than P. antipodarum. P. antipodarum grew more in the presence of interactors and their growth was facilitated by the presence of the native snail F. bulimoides.

Ethnobotany of Berta and Gumuz people in western Ethiopia

This paper studies the use and management of local botanical resources by the Berta and Gumuz people of western Ethiopia. The study focused on plants that are important in their lives, including those that grow in natural habitats and those maintained in fields and cultivated home gardens. Interviews were conducted along with informal discussions with the purpose of collecting ethnobotanical information on useful plants. The interviews included 125 informants; most of whom were from farming families. Information was provided on 185 plant species that serve as sources of food, medicine and other products essential for local livelihoods. The study showed that the Berta and Gumuz people rely on an assortment of plants, 30% through cultivation and 70% through direct collection from wild stands. The ethnobotanical knowledge of the people was equated with the age and educational level of the informants. Areas of conservation concern are over-harvesting of wild plants that give immediate economic returns, change in plant use due to increased dependence on fabricated materials, cultivation of crops in direct response to market needs and domestication of new plants. Recommendations are made for intervention through in-situ and ex-situ conservation. The traditional conservation options that have ensured the maintenance of the plant diversity and the indigenous knowledge base to date must be encouraged and enhanced through application of modern approaches to biodiversity conservation. This study attempts to provide baseline information that can be used in conservation planning and sustainable resource development programs in addition to documenting the cultural heritage of the people.