Biodiversity Conservation Programs Research Articles

State and ameliorative properties of old original oak stands

The ameliorative properties of forest stands are essential for developing effective measures for environmental protection and sustainable use of forest resources. The purpose of the study was to assess the current condition and performance of erosion control properties of old oak stands of natural origin. The method of assessing the condition of old oak plantations using an integral indicator that takes into account biometric, ameliorative and health characteristics of stands, as well as agrochemical indicators of the soil has been tested. Field work was carried out on four experimental plots, where 794 age-old trees were enumerated. Comprehensive studies included determination of biometric indicators, analysis of root systems, detection of the content of available forms of nitrogen, mobile phosphorus, mobile potassium in soil. Soil hardness was measured with a durometer and soil water permeability using steel cylinders. High values of integral indicators were obtained in the experimental areas, which range from 11.9 to 19.7%. They guarantee the effective performance of erosion control properties by native old-growth forests. It has been researched that the proposed integral indicator of forest stand condition not only allows for assessing their current state but also demonstrates the effective control of erosion and ecological functions of the stand. It was established that essential requirement is to convert the absolute values of various indicators into relative values, with mandatory consideration of their positive or negative impacts on the forest stands themselves. It was found that an integral condition indicator can be used for erosion control plantations of any age range. The results can be used to develop biodiversity conservation programs and establish effective strategies for managing forest resources

An overlooked source of false positives in eDNA-based biodiversity assessment and management

Biodiversity conservation and management in urban aquatic ecosystems is crucial to human welfare, and environmental DNA (eDNA)-based methods have become popular in biodiversity assessment. Here we report a highly overlooked source of significant false positives for eDNA-based biodiversity assessment in urban aquatic ecosystems supplied with treated wastewater - eDNA pollution originating from treated wastewater represents a noteworthy source of false positives. To investigate whether eDNA pollution is specific to a certain treatment or prevalent across methods employed by wastewater treatment plants, we conducted tests on effluent treated using three different secondary processes, both before and after upgrades to tertiary treatment. We metabarcoded eDNA collected from effluent immediately after full treatment and detected diverse native and non-native, commercial and ornamental fishes (48 taxa) across all treatment processes before and after upgrades. Thus, eDNA pollution occurred irrespective of the treatment processes applied. Release of eDNA pollution into natural aquatic ecosystems could translate into false positives for eDNA-based analysis. We discuss and propose technical solutions to minimize these false positives in environmental nucleic acid-based biodiversity assessments and conservation programs.

Karst landforms as microrefugia for soil Collembola: Open versus forested dolines

Enclosed surficial karst dolines are geomorphologically diverse habitats with the potential to strongly shape community structure and the distribution of functional groups of organisms. Forest habitats in karst landscapes are characterized by lower soil temperatures and microclimatic fluctuations compared to open habitats; therefore, they may provide favorable conditions for cold-adapted/psychrophilic species, which are highly vulnerable to climate warming. We compared the diversity and structure of soil Collembola communities at sites along microclimatic gradients in open and forested karst dolines. The effect of topography and related environmental conditions on the distribution of ecological groups of soil Collembola was analyzed, and the function of the dolines as potential climate refugia for psychrophilic arthropods was assessed. The karst dolines revealed significant habitat heterogeneity, including warm plateaus and S-facing slopes and colder and wetter bottoms and N-facing slopes. The inner sites of the dolines had an overall higher abundance and species richness compared to the plateau sites. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination revealed a clear delimitation of Collembola communities in terms of warmer and cooler sites in the open dolines, while the forested dolines did not reveal such a clear pattern. The studied dolines showed a potential to serve as microrefugia in the context of global climate change. Dolines could support the long-term persistence of at least some species such as cold-adapted species. Karst dolines in the temperate zone play a key role in maintaining biodiversity; therefore, they should be central in biodiversity conservation programs.

An Integration of Community Empowerment and Biodiversity Conservation Program through Social-Ecology Approach in Indonesia (Study Case: Kokolomboi Hamlet)

The endangered Peleng Tarsier primate species and the critically endangered Banggai Crow species live and breed in Kokolomboi Hamlet. However, for such a long time, natives hunt wild animals for food and for commercial interest. Land conversion and forest fires that become normal method for beekeeping and farming have resulted in a progressive loss of wooded area and degraded land. To address this, a community empowerment program with the integration of socio-cultural, socio-economic, and socio-ecological approach has been designed as a method to achieve sustainable exploitation and management of the forest area through honeybee production with apiculture as backbone. The objective of this community empowerment program is to make people of Kokolomboi Hamlet voluntarily conserve nature by developing conservation village while assuring their primary needs are met by the economic empowerment using environmentally friendly beekeeping method and eco-tourism activities. From year 2020 to 2023, this socio-cultural, socio-economic, and socio-ecological integration approach has empowered 30 members of Tourism Awareness Group (Pokdarwis), 11 beekeeping groups with 245 members, 30 households participated in environmental preservation, 60 foreign tourists have visited Kokolomboi Biodiversity Park, and flora biodiversity index monitored is 4.51 while fauna biodiversity index monitored is 3.75. The method of integrating social, economy, and ecological aspect as an approach along with engaging relevant stakeholders show significant impacts on transforming community’s behavior in livelihood and biodiversity conservation.

Past, present, and future of a tropical sounds collection from Colombia

ABSTRACT Digital bioacoustic collections preserve important behavioural and ecological traits, as well as trackable evidence of the presence of species in space and time. Well-structured and open-source repositories provide valuable information for science and biodiversity conservation. Here, we introduce the Environmental Sound Collection – ‘Mauricio Álvarez-Rebolledo’ (Colección de Sonidos Ambientales IAvH-CSA) at Instituto Humboldt in Colombia, which is one of the most relevant natural sound repositories in South America. The collection was founded in 1998 as ‘Banco de Sonidos Animales (BSA)’ to document Colombian biodiversity and guide conservation actions, two aims that remain at the forefront of our daily work. After over 25 years, the collection has preserved more than 25,000 audio specimens from over 1,300 species. Here, we highlight the value of sound collections by presenting a historical overview of our collection and providing examples of its role in research and outreach. We also identify taxonomic and geographical gaps that need to be filled, analyse the impact of new technological advances on sound collections, and discuss the critical role of acoustics in the future of research and biodiversity conservation programmes.

Trends, patterns and determinants of biodiversity conservation outcomes in Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal, India

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the trends, patterns and determinants of biodiversity conservation in the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR), India. Temporal remote sensing data from 1990 to 2020 shows a loss of 27.69 km2. The results show that the total forest area has seen a significant decline from 1990 to 2020, whereas non-forest and degraded forest areas have been on the rise. The decline of forest area is observed more in fringe and lower altitude areas where accessibility is easy for humans to extract forest resources. The secondary data shows a decline in the wildlife population including the flagship species, the Bengal tiger. The decline in natural resources due to human activities in the BTR is likely to continue unless a participatory biodiversity conservation programme is established. The establishment of the Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC), a formal local institution where local communities and forest departments (FDs) jointly share the rights and responsibility towards the use and management of the forest, seems to be effective in reducing negative forest activities. The sustainability of the BTR is possible if the local people abandon the ‘tragedy of the commons’ activities and work together, with government guidance for the promotion of livelihoods and biodiversity conservation.

Dietary niche overlap and resource partitioning among six steppe passerines of Central Spain using DNA metabarcoding

Trophic niche partitioning is a mechanism that facilitates the coexistence of ecologically similar species by sharing their resource use. However, detailed information of the trophic niche in insectivorous birds is usually limited by the lack of accurate identification of consumed food resources. The use of DNA metabarcoding has proved useful for molecular identification of the taxa present in bird faecal samples. Here, we used this molecular technique to study the diets of six steppe passerine species distributed in two Special Protection Areas in central Spain, and to characterize the dietary niche overlap and the prey composition differences between bird species. In total, we distinguished 112 diet items, covering 39 arthropod families of 13 orders. Although significant dietary differences existed in prey species composition, our results indicated a 74% overlap in steppe bird dietary niche, mostly due to high consumption of abundant arthropod prey such as beetles, grasshoppers and spiders in the breeding season by all bird species. The lowest overlap was found for the dietary niches of the Greater Short‐toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla and Dupont's Lark Chersophilus duponti, a scarce and threatened species, which appeared to be the species with the most distinct dietary niche within the community. Our results make a significant contribution to the knowledge of shrub‐steppe bird diets and their trophic interactions, indicating that some extent of interspecific resource partitioning occurs in the study area, notably between Dupont's Lark and the Greater Short‐toed Lark. Our study demonstrates the value of DNA metabarcoding in the assessment of passerine diets and provides useful ecological results for the design of biodiversity conservation programmes in the increasingly scarce and threatened steppe habitats.

Igniting public engagement with biodiversity conservation: exploring the communication of Predator Free 2050 in Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT This study explored the communication of Predator Free 2050 (PF2050), a biodiversity conservation programme promoted by the New Zealand government. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and an online survey, the study found that the information about PF2050 was made available by diverse contributing agencies but ineffectively disseminated to the public who believed PF2050 provided insufficient or unclear communication. These were experienced as barriers to public engagement with PF2050. A coordinated approach is judged vital to communicate PF2050 to the public. A key to this coordination is effective engagement with Māori as Treaty partners to ensure the success of PF2050. This study provides valuable insights into the features provoking and sustaining public engagement with biodiversity preservation in Aotearoa New Zealand and highlights the need for environmental movements worldwide to improve communication publicity and visibility. It contributes to our understanding of prioritising both inclusiveness and cultural sensitivity if communication strategies are to inspire collaborative actions of the public.

Herbarium Pomeranicum jako przykład cyfryzacji w środowisku naukowym

Purpose – Presentation of the solutions adopted in the field of sharing the integrated digital resources of Pomeranian herbariums so far collected in four herbaria at three universities in Pomerania as a tool for commercializing scientific knowledge and presenting the role of classic and digital collections of individual herbariums in the present day and the interdisciplinary nature of the Herbarium Pomeranicum project. Research method – A single case study Results – Thanks to modern ICT technologies, herbarium material can be widely used by a number of stakeholders and play an important role not only in scientific research or didactic process, but also in assessing the degree of threat to species during the development of biodiversity conservation programs in a sustainable economy based on knowledge. Originality / value / implications / recommendations – Presenting the role of classic and digital collections gathered in the collections of individual herbariums and stakeholders in the digitization of scientific collections, including the interdisciplinary nature of the Herbarium Pomeranicum project.

Monitoring studies of habitats of rare species and tree-dwelling insects in the Emerald Network sites

The pine stands of the Vyshcha Dubechnia State Forestry Enterprise in the Emerald Network sites Kyivske Reservoir UA0000094, Kyivske Podesennia UA0000233, Mizhrichynsky Regional Landscape Park UA0000047 are an important reserve that includes species and habitats of insects that are subject to protection. Most of the existing studies in this area were designed to identify and describe individual habitats, while xylophagous insects were not considered. The purpose of the research was to identify rare and endangered species of tree-dwelling insects in unique natural complexes. The research methods included reconnaissance surveys to determine the species composition of insects and their density. The surveys were conducted in 2020-2022, covering 33 plots with a total area of 50.5 hectares. The monitoring was performed through regular surveys of the territories, during which rare species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine and the Berne Convention resolution were identified. A desktop analysis of forestry materials was conducted. Rare species of insects subject to protection are encountered, but outside the areas where monitoring observations were conducted. These are mainly water, marsh, meadow lands, etc. Accounting for stem pests such as Scolytinae (small pine engraver Tomicus minor and pine shoot beetle Tomicus piniperda), Buprestidae (steelblue jewel beetle Phaenops cyanea) and Cerambycidae (pine sawyer Monochamus galloprovincialis and timberman beetle Acanthocinus aedilis). The identified populations of xylophagous insects are described as low to medium density, occurring only on very weakened trees, and species such as Chrysobothris affinis, Cerambyx scopolii, and Scolytus ratzeburgi are rare. The results of the study will serve as an informational base for the development of regional biodiversity conservation programs and the implementation of mechanisms for the sustainable use of forest resources

Cryopreservation of Plant Tissues in Poland: Research Contributions, Current Status, and Applications

Abstract Cryopreservation of vegetatively propagated plant material is an increasingly widely used method for the efficient and safe storage of germplasm resources around the world. In Poland, there are currently four cryobanks in use for long-term plant protection programs. However, plant tissues propagated in vitro constitute only a small portion of the accessions stored in them. To date, cryogenic storage techniques have been developed and adopted in this country for ornamental plants (roses, chrysanthemums, and geophytes), crop species (potato and garlic), forest tree species (the genera Quercus and Fraxinus ), and some ferns. Polish researchers have used suspension cultures of Gentiana spp. and shoot tips of Lamprocapnos spectabilis to improve cryopreservation knowledge. A better understanding of the benefits of cryopreservation and its widespread implementation in plant biodiversity conservation programs is required. The objective of this review is to provide a concise synthesis of the scientific contributions, current status, and applications of cryogenic techniques for the conservation of in vitro culture-derived plant tissues in Poland. First, the results contributing to research that has been achieved using cell suspensions and advances related to the use of nanoparticles and plant extracts to improve cryopreservation efficiency are discussed. Then, the applications and advances in cryopreservation of ornamental plants (roses, radiomutants, plant chimeras, Lamprocapnos spp., and geophytes), crop species (potato and garlic), forest trees, and ferns are summarized.

Arthropod fauna of the urban coastal wetland of Aguada La Chimba (Antofagasta Region, Chile): a wetland in an arid matrix

Urban coastal wetlands are fragile ecosystems that provide important ecosystemic services. However, these ecosystems are subject to considerable external pressures from urban development, which leads to serious disturbances in their structure, functioning, and diversity as a result of the advancement of urban, agricultural, foraging, and drainage activities, as well as displacement of endemic species by invasive ones. Within the biological communities of these ecosystems, arthropods play an important trophic and ecological role as food resource, pollinating agents, biological controllers, organic matter decomposers, and nutrient cyclers. In this paper we characterize the taxonomic richness and abundance of the terrestrial arthropod fauna of the Aguada de La Chimba urban coastal wetland (Antofagasta Region, Chile) using various methods. From a total of 1,874 specimens, we identified 109 terrestrial arthropod species, where Insecta was the most represented taxon, with 85 species, 47 families, and 15 orders. The estimated species richness values were higher than the observed values for the different groups under study, and insects showed the highest species values in all estimators. Based on their origin, the communities identified included native (24%), naturalized (22%), and to a lesser extent, endemic species. We also characterize the major threats to this urban wetland and discuss the importance of building public–private partnerships with the local community for the success of biodiversity conservation programs in coastal ecosystems.

Habitat preferences and trophic interactions of the benthic invertebrate communities inhabiting depositional and erosional banks of a meander from Danube Delta (Romania)

River restoration and biodiversity conservation programs require an in-depth knowledge of the influence that sediment composition and hydraulic stress have on invertebrate fauna composition and spatial distribution, as well as on nutrients cycling and food webs’ structure and functionality. Compared to low-order streams, the traditional focus of river ecology, the knowledge of these ecosystem properties of the meanders developed along large, lowland watercourses, is currently insufficient. The present study assessed the ecological preferences and the trophic interactions of the benthic invertebrate communities inhabiting erosional and depositional banks developed within a meander of the River Danube flowing through its delta (Danube Delta, Romania). The invertebrates from two mesohabitats, the concave (i.e. erosional) and convex (i.e. depositional) banks developed in the apex region of the meander were sampled quantitatively and qualitatively, along with sediment samples for assessing the grain-size characteristics and hydrodynamic parameters (i.e., critical shear stress, the Reynolds number, the critical velocity and Shields parameter). For assessing their mesohabitat preferences, quantitative samples were taken from both banks, whereas for inferring the trophic interactions, stable isotopes of δ15N and δ13C were measured from qualitative samples, comprising both invertebrates and basal resources. The results showed that increased siltation with fine sediments in the depositional bank led to a community dominated by chironomids, oligochaetes and bivalves, whereas the opposite bank comprised crayfish, caddis fly larvae and amphipods with a preference for coarser sediments. The δ13C of most consumers revealed that the dominant forms of carbon entries in the analysed food webs were photosynthetic based, whereas certain snails, chironomids and basal resources from the depositional bank were 13C depleted (δ13C: −35 to −39 ‰). Such low ratios for δ13C (mean < −35 ‰) reflected the potential of carbon entry through the base of depositional food web as a result of methane oxidation at sediment-water interface (i.e. chemosynthesis), induced by the fine sediments deposition that could have favoured the methane production. Grazing methane-oxidising bacteria in the depositional meander bank could have provided the primary consumers with up to 50 % and the omnivores and predatory invertebrates with up to 30 % of their carbon, which could represent an important subsidy from an additional, chemosynthetic source. The impact of a supplementary carbon input was further reflected in increasing depositional food web basal niche diversity, which led to distinct trophic niches and lower interspecific competition of consumers compared to the erosional bank of the meander.

Incorporating management action suitability in conservation plans

AbstractConservation decision makers must negotiate social and technical complexities to achieve desired biodiversity outcomes. Quantitative models can inform decision making, by evaluating and predicting management outcomes, so that comparisons can be made between alternative courses of action. However, whether a proposed action is appropriate for implementation, regardless of its contribution to management outcomes, also requires consideration. Existing quantitative models have yet to fully incorporate the suitability of proposed management actions, which hinders their ability to inform decision making.We used gradient boosted decision trees – a machine‐learning technique – to determine the suitability of alternative management actions available to a biodiversity conservation programme. We demonstrate our approach using the Predator Free 2050 programme – a large and complex conservation initiative that seeks to eradicate selected invasive vertebrates from the entirety of New Zealand by 2050. We created a nationally contiguous network of management tools to suppress populations of invasive species across the entire country. We then used our suitability predictions to explore three scenarios for selecting invasive species management tools, based on maximising (a) implementation probability, (b) humaneness and (c) cost‐savings.Our models highlighted that an interplay of factors influence where management tools can potentially be implemented. Our management scenarios revealed what different contiguous management networks could look like for New Zealand over the next 10–15 years as an interim step to achieving Predator Free 2050. Each scenario differed in the tools selected for implementation in different places and in the overall economic costs associated with creating a contiguous management network. Some locations were identified as unsuitable for any existing management tools, indicating that future transformative technologies may be required to create a contiguous network.Synthesis and applications. Conservation decision making must not only consider biodiversity outcomes but also whether selected management actions are appropriate in the first place. Here, we used machine‐learning techniques to determine the suitability of competing managements actions that are proposed to meet biodiversity objectives. Our approach provides an objective, transparent and reproducible framework to determine the suitability of actions at sites across large spatial extents, under complex social and technical constraints.

Loss of lateral hydrological connectivity impacts multiple facets of molluscan biodiversity in floodplain lakes

Lateral hydrological connectivity (LHC) is a key process in maintaining aquatic biodiversity in river floodplain ecosystems. However, the effects of LHC loss on aquatic biodiversity are rarely studied. Here, we evaluated, for the first time, the responses of multiple facets (i.e., taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic) of alpha and beta diversity of freshwater molluscs to the LHC loss in 23 floodplain lakes in the Yangtze River Basin in China. Our results showed that taxonomic and functional alpha diversities were all significantly higher in connected lakes (CLs) than in disconnected lakes (DLs), whereas phylogenetic alpha diversity (Δ+) was lower in CLs than in DLs. For beta diversity facets, taxonomic (Tβsor) and phylogenetic (Pβsor) dissimilarities were slightly more contributed by the turnover component or equally contributed by the turnover and nestedness-resultant components both in CLs and DLs. Instead, functional beta diversity (Fβsor), generally showing much lower values than Tβsor and Pβsor, was mainly contributed by the nestedness-resultant component (76.6–84.0%), especially in DLs. We found that only functional dissimilarities were significantly higher in DLs than CLs, indicating a high level of functional diversity loss without replacement of species possessing traits sensitive to hydrological disconnection (i.e., large body size, lamellibranch body form, filter feeding, ovoviviparity and burrowing habits). In general, lake area, hydrological connectivity, aquatic vegetation coverage and nutrient levels (TN and TP) played important roles in structuring variation in molluscan alpha and beta diversities, although the three diversity facets responded to different environmental factors. Our results suggest that loss of connectivity to the mainstem river has negative impacts on molluscan assemblages in floodplain lakes. More importantly, as taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversities responded somewhat differently to the loss of hydrological connectivity, all of these biodiversity facets should be better incorporated into aquatic biodiversity assessment and conservation programs in large river floodplains.

ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM PROTECTED AREAS FOR BIODIVERSITY AND BIOCULTURAL CONSERVATION

Ecosystems support web of life by sustaining harmony in nature. When function in a right way, brings multiple ecosystem services and benefits to communities and societies. These values range from supporting, regulatory, provisional and aesthetic benefits to the whole interconnectivity which brings enabling environment for the continuation of life on earth. This paper deals with the economic benefits from protected areas to promote the conservation objectives with enhancing financial profits to indigenous and local communities. The result indicates with better policy approach to receive more profits, the biodiversity and biocultural conservation program is more consolidated.

Ex situ conservation of plant diversity in Romania: A synthesis of threatened and endemic taxa

Romania hosts a relatively high species diversity, including 3,829 vascular and 979 non-vascular spontaneous plant taxa. Multiple national red lists exist, with the number of taxa assessed as threatened varying greatly between them, from 548 to 1,438, and with number of taxa assigned to a given threat category also varying between the different sources. A composite list including all taxa mentioned in at least one of the selected red listings from Romania is required in order to compensate for this lack of consensus and to assess their ex situ conservation status. In this study, we synthesized data from the national red lists and counted 1,220 spontaneous vascular plant species and 201 subspecies, of which 77 are endemic and 76 subendemic for Romania. In addition, 18 non-red-listed endemics and 14 subendemics have been added, bringing the total to 1,453 threatened and (sub)endemic plant taxa, representing almost 38% of the total native vascular flora of Romania. Despite the large network of protected areas in Romania, many taxa are still being threatened with extinction in the region mainly due to anthropogenic pressure. Several ex situ conservation measures have been employed to assure a more substantial buffer against plant extinction in the wild, supported by thorough and adequate conservation strategies and multiple means to reintroduce taxa back to their natural habitats. Consequently, our second aim was to evaluate the ex situ conservation status of these threatened and (sub)endemic plants from Romania, focussing on both conventional methods (cultivation in botanic gardens, seed banking) and biotechnological approaches (in vitro tissue culture, medium-term storage and cryostorage). Of the 1,453 taxa included in our list, 642 (44.2%) are conserved by ex situ approaches. Of these, 524 are harboured in the most important botanic gardens throughout Romania, while 156 are currently held in long-term seed banks locally or in the Millennium Seed Bank of the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew (UK). Conversely, only 64 taxa from the list are preserved at the national level through in vitro cultures, and cryopreservation protocols have been developed for only 8 taxa. Overall, more than half of the threatened and (sub)endemic vascular flora from Romania remains unprotected outside the classical in situ conservation measures. For red-listed bryophytes, only 0.6% are preserved in national ex situ collections. Moreover, some aspects related to population genetic studies and the genetic stability of ex situ conserved plants are also briefly discussed, as essential prerequisites for applied biodiversity conservation programs. Finally, considering the distribution range of targeted taxa, we included a synthesis of biotechnological approaches at both national and international level. Our study presents not only a first assessment of the ex situ conservation status of national red listed flora, but also, to our knowledge, the most comprehensive and updated overview of the rare, threatened and (sub)endemic taxa from Romania. This evaluation will provide a supporting tool for national decision- and policy-making actions for biodiversity conservation, using both in situ and ex situ approaches. We also highlight the need for an updated red list for the Romanian flora that accurately follows the IUCN assessment criteria and protocols.

Diversity of Butterflies Aroundpanje - Funde Wetland, Uran, Navi Mumbai West Coast of India

Uran is under heavy process of Urbanization, Industrialization, land filling, reclamation cutting of mangroves, shipping and port related activities resulting in fragmentation of natural habitats. Butterflies are bio-indicators of habitat quality and are sensitive to any changes taking place in habitat a survey of butterfly diversity of Panje –Funde wetland and nearby area was conducted for a period of one year from June 2017 to May 2018. During present investigation total of 66 species of butterflies belonging to 46 genera and 6 families were recorded. Butterflies from family Nymphalidae showed maximum species diversity dominance with 17 genera and 27 species followed by Lycaenidae with 10 genera and 10 species, Pieridae with 9 genera and 15 species Hesperiidae with 6 genera and 6 species, Papilionidae represented with 3 genera and 6 species, the least number of 1 genus and 2 species were recorded from the family Riodinidae. There is urgent need for effective habitat and biodiversity conservation program in this Eco sensitive area.

Agronomic Performances of Compost Associated with Pollinating Insects on the Growth and Yield of &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Glycine max&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; (L.) Merril under Field Conditions

Soybean is an oilseed crop legume cultivated for its benefits as a source of protein to human or animal food. The cultivation of soybean will promote the diversification of income sources for rural population. Like other crops, soybean flowers are visited by insects. It is expected that within the biodiversity conservation program, anthophilous insects including bees, generally increase fruit and seed yields of many plant species. Therefore, the effect of insect pollinators and compost on growth and yield parameters of Glycine max was assessed for two cropping seasons (2018 and 2019) in the field. The experiment was set up in a complete randomized block design with three treatments: subplots applied with compost; subplots applied with fertilizer-NPK; subplots applied neither with compost, nor with fertilizer-NPK. Two other treatments were designed by plants with flowers protected against insects or flowers pollination free. Results indicate that root nodules formed by soybean plants in plots that received compost were significantly higher (P G. max flowers respectively. Lipotriches collaris was the most insect species frequently observed in the field, with 44.20% and 43.34% visits yearly respectively. The synergistic effect of insects and compost increased the number of seeds per pod by 28.27% and the percentage of normal seeds by 24.47%. Hence, applying Glycine max seeds at sowing with compost and in an environment with hives close to field could be recommended in agricultural development programs of farmers for a sustainable improvement of pods and seed yield of this valuable crop.

ECONOMIC BENEFITS FROM PROTECTED AREAS FOR BIODIVERSITY AND BIOCULTURAL CONSERVATION

Ecosystems support web of life by sustaining harmony in nature. When function in a right way, brings multiple ecosystem services and benefits to communities and societies. These values range from supporting, regulatory, provisional and aesthetic benefits to the whole interconnectivity which brings enabling environment for the continuation of life on earth. This paper deals with the economic benefits from protected areas to promote the conservation objectives with enhancing financial profits to indigenous and local communities. The result indicates with better policy approach to receive more profits, the biodiversity and biocultural conservation program is more consolidated.