Biodiversity Features Research Articles

Incidence and diversity of plant-parasitic nematodes associated with wheat-cropping systems in the inner part of the Aegean Region of Turkey

Summary Plant-parasitic nematodes are among the most influential soil organisms worldwide and have a detrimental impact on wheat productivity; they also play a major role in maintaining soil diversity. However, limited information is available on the biodiversity of nematodes associated with wheat cropping systems in Turkey. To address this knowledge gap, 45 wheat fields in the Afyonkarahisar Province of Turkey were sampled in 2021 in order to extract and identify nematodes. A total of 14 genera and 44 species of these nematodes were identified based on their physical traits and ITS DNA sequences examination. Shannon diversity index was used to determine the prevalence and biodiversity features of these nematodes. This study represents the first comprehensive research on plant-parasitic nematodes from wheat-growing regions in the Afyonkarahisar Province. The genera Helicotylenchus, Heterodera, Merlinius, Pratylenchoides and Pratylenchus dominated with a high relative abundance percentage >60%, and were extremely common (>90% for each). The average Shannon index of nematode species in the wheat fields was 2.20, with an evenness value of 0.81, indicating moderate diversification and good nematode evenness. This study also revealed a significant correlation between nematode genus biodiversity and edaphic, climatic and geographical factors. Finally, this research demonstrated a remarkable diversity of soil nematodes associated with wheat crops and they have the potential to be useful tools for extensive soil bio-study.

Leveraging Multimodality for Biodiversity Data: Exploring joint representations of species descriptions and specimen images using CLIP

In recent years, the field of biodiversity data analysis has witnessed significant advancements, with a number of models emerging to process and extract valuable insights from various data sources. One notable area of progress lies in the analysis of species descriptions, where structured knowledge extraction techniques have gained prominence. These techniques aim to automatically extract relevant information from unstructured text, such as taxonomic classifications and morphological traits. (Sahraoui et al. 2022, Sahraoui et al. 2023) By applying natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning methods, structured knowledge extraction enables the conversion of textual species descriptions into a structured format, facilitating easier integration, searchability, and analysis of biodiversity data. Furthermore, object detection on specimen images has emerged as a powerful tool in biodiversity research. By leveraging computer vision algorithms (Triki et al. 2020, Triki et al. 2021,Ott et al. 2020), researchers can automatically identify and classify objects of interest within specimen images, such as organs, anatomical features, or specific taxa. Object detection techniques allow for the efficient and accurate extraction of valuable information, contributing to tasks like species identification, morphological trait analysis, and biodiversity monitoring. These advancements have been particularly significant in the context of herbarium collections and digitization efforts, where large volumes of specimen images need to be processed and analyzed. On the other hand, multimodal learning, an emerging field in artificial intelligence (AI), focuses on developing models that can effectively process and learn from multiple modalities, such as text and images (Li et al. 2020, Li et al. 2021, Li et al. 2019, Radford et al. 2021, Sun et al. 2021, Chen et al. 2022). By incorporating information from different modalities, multimodal learning aims to capture the rich and complementary characteristics present in diverse data sources. This approach enables the model to leverage the strengths of each modality, leading to enhanced understanding, improved performance, and more comprehensive representations. Structured knowledge extraction from species descriptions and object detection on specimen images synergistically enhances biodiversity data analysis. This integration leverages textual and visual data strengths, gaining deeper insights. Extracted structured information from descriptions improves search, classification, and correlation of biodiversity data. Object detection enriches textual descriptions, providing visual evidence for the verification and validation of species characteristics. To tackle the challenges posed by the massive volume of specimen images available at the Herbarium of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, we have chosen to implement the CLIP (Contrastive Language-Image Pretraining) model (Radford et al. 2021) developed by OpenAI. CLIP utilizes a contrastive learning framework to recognize joint representations of text and images. The model is trained on a large-scale dataset consisting of text-image pairs from the internet, enabling it to understand the semantic relationships between textual descriptions and visual content. Fine-tuning the CLIP model on our dataset of species descriptions and specimen images is crucial for adapting it to our domain. By exposing the model to our data, we enhance its ability to understand and represent biodiversity characteristics. This involves training the model on our labeled dataset, allowing it to refine its knowledge and adapt to biodiversity patterns. Using the fine-tuned CLIP model, we aim to develop an efficient search engine for the Herbarium's vast biodiversity collection. Users can query the engine with morphological keywords, and it will match textual descriptions with specimen images to provide relevant results. This research aligns with the current AI trajectory for biodiversity data, paving the way for innovative approaches to address conservation and understanding of our planet's biodiversity.

A practical approach to setting heuristic marine biodiversity targets for systematic conservation planning

Systematic conservation plans are proliferating as countries work towards identifying priorities for meeting international conservation commitments. These analyses generally require targets for input biodiversity features, which can be difficult to set quantitatively and defensibly. We aimed to develop a robust, heuristic approach for setting biodiversity targets for marine systematic conservation planning (SCP). From the literature, we distilled principles for increasing and decreasing a baseline biodiversity target, and identified recommended target amounts for the baseline targets and adjustments. These heuristic rules were tested in a systematic plan, run in Marxan, by using them to set targets for 976 marine biodiversity features from South Africa. Marxan outputs were compared with those from alternative scenarios that had: area-weighted targets (as an alternate heuristic); commonly used fixed targets of 10 %, 30 %, and 50 % (as planners align to Aichi Target 11, 30 × 30, and Nature Needs Half, respectively), and random targets. Both scenarios with heuristic targets (our heuristics, and area-weighted) passed the target sensitivity test and outperformed the scenarios with fixed targets in terms of feature representation for a given area and cost. This was better achieved using our heuristic targets, which had generally significantly higher feature representation in a more efficient design than all other scenarios. Our approach for systematically setting heuristic biodiversity targets can be widely applied, and although developed for marine planning, is expected to perform just as well for land-based planning. The rules and target amounts are not prescriptive but serve as a useful guide that can be adapted to other contexts.

Collaborative Integrated Sustainable Tourism Management Model Using System Dynamics: A Case of Labuan Bajo, Indonesia

Tourism is one of a region’s most prominent development vehicles. However, quality tourism is only achieved when supported by multi-sectors. This study aims to create a model of sustainable tourism management using a system dynamics approach. The model is based on the tourism development case in Labuan Bajo, a newly growing destination in Indonesia and a UNESCO Komodo biosphere reserve area. The research results in a model of sustainable tourism relevant to similar destinations with characteristics of high biodiversity but vulnerable to social inequality. This research finds it is critical to balance tourism growth and impact through the environment, economy, and social aspects and how destination management shall ensure multi-sector participation to create a conducive tourism ecosystem in the long run.

Enhancing semi-aquatic species representativeness beyond protected areas: dragonflies in networks of conservation corridors

Complementarity is crucial when prioritizing sites for biodiversity conservation. Networks of conservation corridors (CCs) can contribute to regional representativeness by complementing biodiversity features included in existing protected areas (PAs). We ask whether criteria important for CC management and design are effective at prioritizing complementary sites, and how the consideration of species represented in PAs influence criteria performance. We focused on species turnover of generalist and specialist dragonflies across 88 riverine sites. Criteria assessed included site-level estimates of dragonfly species richness, estimates of local habitat quality and corridor width. Measures of local habitat quality were based on either dragonfly indicator species or proportion of alien vegetation. Results showed that CCs complement dragonfly diversity in PAs by contributing unrepresented generalist species. Of the criteria, corridor width was the most efficient at prioritizing complementary sites, while prioritization based on dragonfly indicator species or species richness underperformed. When aiming to prioritize CC sites that also complement sites situated in established PAs, wide corridors with low levels of alien vegetation should be favoured.

Features of intestinal microbiota biodiversity in patients with inflammatory intestinal diseases and metabolic disorders (literature review)

Relevance. Pathology of non-infectious genesis is currently playing a leading role in the structure of overall morbidity of the population. The incidence of inflammatory bowel diseases increases all over the world. The severity of inflammatory bowel diseases complicates the presence of comorbid pathology, metabolic disorders, which lead to disability and the risk of premature death. Currently available diagnostic measures allow to detect disorders at the stage of clinical manifestations. There are several factors causing the development of pathological changes at the early stage including the peculiarities of intestinal microbiome formation and the predominance of certain microorganism clusters with the subsequent formation of a biotype, which may allow diagnosing the disease at a latent stage.Aim: To evaluate the role of the intestinal microbiota in the formation of inflammatory bowel diseases and metabolic disorders according to the data of national and foreign literature.Material and Methods. The review of literature on this topic was carried out based on the analysis of data obtained from the publications indexed in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Academy, and eLibrary.ru databases over the past 10 years.Results. Data on the role of intestinal microbiota in the development of changes in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases and metabolic disorders (obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, and diabetes mellitus) were revealed. New potential mechanisms for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus were identified, and the features of the generic composition of the flora in patients with comorbid pathology were described.Conclusion. The obtained results suggest that further research is required to improve understanding of this pathology and to create the methods for correcting the gut microbiota in case of abnormal findings.

Carbon storage in a peri-urban neotropical forest: Assessing its potential and patterns of change over half a century

Forest ecosystems are associated with environmental regulation services, such as carbon storage, which is an outstanding service. Carbon fluxes in cities are difficult to estimate due to the scale at which they are addressed, particularly at the local level. In this work, we were interested in determining the carbon stored in the aboveground biomass of the tropical montane cloud forest tree species located on the western periphery of the city of Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico. With these data, we interpolated the storage and sequestration over five decades through image satellites and aerial photography of this unique forest. Additionally, to assess this potential as a basis for a biodiversity contribution to city resilience, we conducted phytosociological sampling. Native species such as Quercus xalapensis, Liquidambar styraciflua var. mexicana and Q. lancifolia showed the most significant values of 72.92, 58.79, and 49.14 Mg ha−1, respectively, of carbon. We used phytosociological sampling to better understand structural and functional features of urban forest biodiversity that can contribute to management practices for adaptation to climate change. In addition, the native species currently studied offer an opportunity for the city to implement better-targeted reforestation and ecological restoration programs for integrated landscaping in urban planning. Our results suggest that between 1966 and 2022, there was a forest recovery of 52.4 ha and an increase in urban areas of 63.4 ha, which is equivalent to an increase from 7,700.86 Mg ha−1 in 1966 to 12,620.00 Mg ha−1 in 2022. In this context, it is possible to both recover the vegetation cover and expand the city, thus avoiding part of the loss of ecosystem services that urbanization usually implies. This should be promoted among decision-makers and citizens in urban planning. Recovery processes can take place successfully in some cases even as urban areas expand. This possibility is relevant due to the many contributions that vegetation provides to citizens, including carbon storage. The opportunity to study five decades allows us to know the history, monitor the processes and make a projection to conserve the vegetation and improve management.

Input data resolution affects the conservation prioritization outcome of spatially sparse biodiversity features.

Detailed spatial data are an essential part of land use planning and decision-making. Their spatial resolution sets limitations to their use, as coarse datasets are not suitable for detecting small-scale phenomena. In this study, we explored the effects of spatial resolution on the ecological outcome of a conservation prioritization process in Zonation software. Our study area was in Evo, southern Finland, covering a mosaic of managed and conserved forests. We produced the feature layers describing the forest characteristics using high-resolution remote sensing datasets, object-based mapping methods, and forest site type data. We found that increasing the resolution above the 16 m baseline resolution resulted in substantial errors. The conservation errors were the highest for rare features related to European Aspen, whereas the common features related to dominant tree species could benefit from the growth of cell size. We conclude that adequate spatial resolution is a prerequisite for efficient conservation prioritization, and that the size and spatial distribution of the features affect the resolution requirements.

Clinical, epidemiological and faunistic characterization of scorpionism in Azilal, Central High Atlas (Morocco)

The province of Azilal is one of the most scorpion-infested areas in Morocco. The current study aims to investigate the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of scorpion envenomation in the Azilal province, as well as to contribute to the study of its scorpio-faunistic diversity. We examined clinical and epidemiological data from 5684 scorpion stings recorded between 2017 and 2021. Prospections on the ground were carried out in the study area. The species were identified using the taxonomic keys. Distribution maps of inventoried species have been created using SIG. 5684 scorpions stings were reported in the study area, with 18 cases of deaths. Most of the cases was reported in the summer especially at night (64%). A positive significant correlation was found between scorpion stings incidence and season (P < 0.005; r = 0.56). A positive correlation was found between scorpion stings incidence and mortality (r = 0.09). Pediatric mortality was higher compared to lethality in adults (P < 0.05). A positive correlation was found between the number of stung children (Age <15 years) and the number of patients presenting clinical signs of severe envenomation (Class III) (r = 0.40). The percentage of patients that use traditional remedies was significantly higher in the rural areas (P < 0.05). Most scorpion stings occurred in human habitat (54.5%) or in their neighbourhood (24.5%). Six species were identified in the study area. The findings of this study have highlighted the extent of scorpion envenomation and have elucidated certain characteristics of the scorpio-faunistic biodiversity in the Azilal province.

Metabarcoding Reveals Impact of Different Land Uses on Fungal Diversity in the South-Eastern Region of Antioquia, Colombia

Changes in soil fungal communities caused by land use have not been sufficiently studied in South American Andosols, which are considered key food production areas. Since fungal communities play an important role in soil functionality, this study analysed 26 soil samples of Andosols collected from locations devoted to conservation, agriculture and mining activities in Antioquia, Colombia, to establish differences between fungal communities as indicators of soil biodiversity loss using Illumina MiSeq metabarcoding on nuclear ribosomal ITS2 region. A non-metric multidimensional scaling allowed to explore driver factors of changes in fungal communities, while the significance of these variations was assessed by PERMANOVA. Furthermore, the effect size of land use over relevant taxa was quantified. Our results suggest a good coverage of fungal diversity with a detection of 353,312 high-quality ITS2 sequences. We found strong correlations of Shannon and Fisher indexes with dissimilarities on fungal communities (r = 0.94). These correlations allow grouping soil samples according to land use. Variations in temperature, air humidity and organic matter content lead to changes in abundances of relevant orders (Wallemiales and Trichosporonales). The study highlights specific sensitivities of fungal biodiversity features in tropical Andosols, which may serve as a basis for robust assessments of soil quality in the region.

Fungal aerosols in rabbit breeding environment: Metagenetic insight into PM2.5 based on third-generation sequencing technology

Fungal aerosols are a vital environmental hazard factor impeding the development of the rabbit breeding industry and threatening public health. This study aimed to determine fungal abundance, diversity, composition, diffusion, and variability in aerosols in rabbit breeding environments. Twenty PM2.5 filter samples were collected from five sampling sites (i.e. En5, In, Ex5, Ex15, and Ex45) in a modern rabbit farm in Linyi City, China. Fungal component diversity at the species level was analyzed in all samples using third-generation sequencing technology. Results revealed that fungal diversity and community composition in PM2.5 significantly differed across different sampling sites, and different pollution levels. The highest concentrations of PM2.5 and fungal aerosols (i.e., 102.5 μg/m3 and 18.8 × 103 CFU/m3, respectively) were found at Ex5, and these concentrations were found to decrease as the distance from the exit increased. However, no significant correlation was observed between the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene abundance and overall PM2.5 levels, except for Aspergillus ruber and Alternaria eichhorniae. Although most fungi are not pathogenic to humans, zoonotic pathogenic microorganisms that cause pulmonary aspergillosis (e.g., Aspergillus ruber) and invasive fusariosis (e.g., Fusarium pseudensiforme) were observed. The relative abundance of A. ruber was higher at Ex5 than that at In, Ex15, and Ex45 (p < 0.01), and the relative abundance of the fungal species decreased with an increase in distance from the rabbit houses. Moreover, four potential novel strains of Aspergillus ruber were discovered, with 82.9%–90.3% of the nucleotide and amino acid sequences similar to those of reference strains. This study highlights the importance of rabbit environments as a source in shaping fungal aerosol microbial communities. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to uncover the initial characteristics of fungal biodiversity and dispersion of PM2.5 in rabbit breeding environments, contributing to infectious disease control and prevention in rabbits.

Structural Characteristics of Niaouli Forests, Biodiversity, and Ethnobotanical Importance of the Valuable Species

In Benin, forest resources are limited and are in the grip of alarming degradation. In southern Benin, the Niaouli forests (6°40’ to 6°45’ North Lat. and 2°05’ to 2°10’ East Long.) require special attention given their state of degradation leading to loss of biodiversity. In order to contribute to the sustainable management of the forests, our investigations focused on the characterization of the structure, floristic diversity, and forms of use of the valuable species. The data was collected by systematic sampling with rectangular meshes of 100 m × 200 m in square plots of one (01) ha each. In total, seven (07) plots were installed for the determination of dendrometric and biodiversity parameters. The regeneration of the species was counted in quadrats of 100 m² installed on a diagonal of each plot. Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out within local populations, on a sample of 188 people made of heads of peasant households or their representatives, carpenters, traditional healers, and loggers in order to identify valuable species and appraise their ethnobotanical importance. Four valuable species were identified. They were Albizia zygia, Antiaris toxicaria, Ceiba pentandra, and Newbouldia laevis. The diversity parameters showed that the forests of Niaouli are characterized by a low floristic diversity in comparison with the forest ecosystems of southern Benin. The main valuable species of the Niaouli forests were experiencing a regeneration problem likely to hinder their sustainability and sustainable use. Albizia zygia, Antiaris toxicaria, and Ceiba pentandra are used more in the form of wood respectively by 85 %, 50 %, and 75 % of respondents. Newbouldia laevis is used more in the form of an infusion by 33 %, fodder by 21 %, and wood by 21 % of respondents. Respondents cited 58 diseases treated with species from the Niaouli forests. Considering the results obtained, regular reforestation and the introduction of new adapted species must be carried out to increase the biodiversity and ecosystem services of the forests.

集成生态系统服务与生物多样性的系统保护规划

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 集成生态系统服务与生物多样性的系统保护规划 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202112023396 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目（32071650，31670539）；云南省中青年学术和技术带头人后备人才项目（202105AC160070）；云南大学研究生科研创新基金项目（2021Y039） Systematic conservation planning by integrating ecosystem services and biodiversity Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: The National Natural Science Foundation of China (grants 32071650, 31670539); Young and Middle-aged Academic and Technical Leaders Reserve Talent Program of Yunnan Province (202105AC160070); Graduate Research innovation project of Yunnan University (2021Y039). 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:生物多样性和生态系统服务的保护与可持续管理是当今世界面临的重大挑战之一，但如何判识与优化集成生态系统服务与生物多样性保护对象的保护优先区网络，相关研究还很有限。针对"三江并流"区，选取珍稀濒危与特有动植物物种和自然植被类型作为生物多样性保护对象，以调节服务（碳存储、固碳和土壤保持）、文化服务（自然游憩）和供给服务（水源供给）为生态系统服务保护对象。应用系统保护规划方法，首先判识出单一生物多样性和生态系统服务保护优先区；然后，分析这些保护优先区间的相关关系，并选择与生物多样性正相关的生态系统服务类型，判识集成生态系统服务与生物多样性的保护优先区；最后，评估了集成生态系统服务与生物多样性保护优先区在六类已建保护地中的保护状况。结果表明：（1）"三江并流"区多情景规划得到的生物多样性与生态系统服务保护优先区之间均呈正相关关系；（2）与分别针对生态系统服务和生物多样性的规划情景相比，集成生态系统服务与生物多样性保护优先区能够同时对两类保护对象提供最高的保护覆盖率；（3）集成生态系统服务和生物多样性保护优先区占研究区总面积的48.9%，其已建保护地覆盖率为32.5%，说明现有保护地体系仍存在保护空缺。 Abstract:Conservation and sustainable management of biodiversity and ecosystem services are one of the major challenges faced by the world today. However, there is still limited research on how to identify and optimize the portfolio of priority conservation areas (PCAs) that integrate ecosystem services and biodiversity as conservation targets. Using the Three Parallel Rivers Region (TPRR) as a case, this study selected representative conservation features for both biodiversity and ecosystem services; biodiversity conservation features included the rare, endangered and endemic plant and animal species and natural vegetation types; ecosystem-service conservation features included regulation services (carbon storage, carbon sequestration and soil retention), cultural services (natural recreation) and supply services (water supply). We firstly identified the individual portfolio of PCAs for biodiversity and each type of ecosystem services by applying a systematic conservation planning approach, respectively. Then, we analyzed the relationship between these different portfolios of PCAs. We identified the PCAs by integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services that had a portfolio of PCAs being positively correlated with biodiversity PCAs. Finally, we assessed the conservation status of the integrated PCAs within six categories of the existing protected areas. The results showed that:(1) there was a positive relationship between different portfolios of the PCAs identified for biodiversity and each type of ecosystem service in TPRR; (2) In comparison with planning scenarios for ecosystem services and biodiversity separately, the PCAs integrating ecosystem services and biodiversity could simultaneously provide the highest coverage for all biodiversity features and ecosystem services; (3) The PCAs integrating ecosystem services and biodiversity covered 48.9% of the study area, and received 32.5% coverage from the protected areas, indicating that conservation gaps still existed in the existing protected-area system. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Subsidy Accountability and Biodiversity Loss Drivers: Following the Money in the Chilean Silvoagricultural Sector

In Chile, promotion of activities in the silvoagricultural sector has been made through the implementation of Instruments of Productive Promotion, which are governmental interventions oriented to increase productive systems by applying economic incentives. However, its use has not been exempted of criticism due to the poor articulation and coordination between the programs and because their implementation has lacked a coordinated territorial approach. Chile has committed to different international frameworks to protect biodiversity, including the Convention on Biological Diversity that, through the Aichi targets, aimed to either eliminate or reform incentives, including subsidies, to minimize negative impacts and to manage agriculture in a sustainable manner. Allocation of IPPs used to finance field work (IPP-FFWs) at the silvoagricultural sector was analyzed, including amounts granted, use of the funds, and geographical distribution; they explored eventual links with biodiversity trends, including identified drivers of biodiversity loss. We found that, in the last two decades, IPP-FFWs have more than quintupled; the activities funded relate to main anthropogenic factors associated with ecosystems deterioration, including land use change and plantations with exotic species; the funding mostly occurs where most relevant Chilean terrestrial biodiversity features concentrate and where most ecosystems that have been classified under risk are located.

Spatial Patterns of Natural Protected Areas and Construction of Protected Area Groups in Guangdong Province.

The fragmentation of protected areas is a common issue in global conservation, which means a new approach to planning and management needs to be explored. In this paper, we proposed the concept of a group of natural protected areas (GNPA) and studied the construction of GNPAs. Firstly, the spatial distribution characteristics of 1363 natural protected areas (NPAs) in Guangdong Province were qualitatively studied. The overall spatial pattern among NPAs and the spatial distribution characteristics of mountain ranges, river basins, urbanization level and economic density were analyzed, and the relationship between the distribution of NPAs and physical geography and social development was clarified. Then, the geographical concentration index, nearest index and Gini coefficient were used for quantitative analysis. The geographical concentration index was 24.6, and the nearest neighbor index was 0.8. The Gini coefficients of the spatial distribution of NPAs in Guangdong Province were Gini = 0.956 and C = 0.044. These indices proved that the overall spatial patterns of NPAs in Guangdong Province had the tendency and characteristics of agglomeration. On this basis, 29 agglomeration areas were constructed using kernel density analysis and the natural break point classification method. According to the requirements of spatial connectivity and management feasibility, combined with the characteristics of physical geography, ecosystems and biodiversity, 32 GNPAs were constructed based on the reasonable adjustment of 29 agglomeration areas. Using Geodetector statistics to analyze the spatial stratified heterogeneity of the GNPAs, the results showed that mountain range, water system, population density, economic density and urbanization level were all factors that could explain the clustering distribution of the natural protected areas. The most important factor was mountain range (p = 0.190), followed by population density (p = 0.162). The 32 GNPAs covered the most representative natural ecosystems in the province and had compact spatial organization, a close ecological relationship and feasible unified management, which means they could aid in resolving the fragmentation of protected areas and improving management efficiency.

Ecological criteria for sustainability in global, national, and local scales: a review of the literature and case study in the indonesian palm oil sector

Current sustainability assessment methods are mostly disseminated at global or national scales. However, the sustainability criteria often fail to capture many ecological characteristics that are important to the local population. This article aims to understand the importance of ecological criteria for sustainability by reviewing the literature on issues related to the implementation of ecological criteria on global, national, and local scales. This study uses qualitative content analysis by examining secondary data searches such as journal articles and research reports regarding the topics. We use NVIVO software for theme coding. We also use a case study in the oil palm plantation in Belitung Island and the Indonesian palm oil sector to see how global and national ecological criteria for sustainable palm oil were designed and whether it is adaptable to the local context. This study reveals three main themes namely the function of ecological criteria and indicators, the adaptation of global and regional criteria, and the importance of local characteristics and value. We concluded that although global and national criteria for sustainable palm oil have been established, the characteristics of local biodiversity and social value and its prioritization are needed to ensure sustainability reached the lowest scale.

Using the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) to Detect Vegetative Change with Remote Sensing and GIS: A Study of the Kumbur River Basin in Kodaikanal Taluk, Dindigul District

Land use exercises also ultimately affect land cover spatially and in the short term. The primary consideration responsible for land cover adjustment is to meet the growing needs of an expanding population through the intensification of food crops and the clearing of conventional land cover as forests for food and business activities. Land cover modification also disturbs other characteristics of soil maturity, soil decay, environment, biodiversity, air quality and water systems of the disturbed area. Innovating remote sensing and GIS has been developed as a suitable instrument to examine the land use and land cover adjustment of the area at spatial and transient scale. In this survey, the NDVI-based team demonstrated a remarkable change in land cover from 2009 to 2016. A large change was observed in forest cover, where approximately (3.34%) of the forest was degraded between 2009 and 2016.

Conservation planning for threatened marine megafauna: Moving forward with a better approach

Abstract For threatened marine megafauna, such as the Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphin (Sousa chinensis), sound conservation planning should aim to ensure demographic and ecological persistence of populations. One method to address this challenge is through ecosystem‐based conservation planning (ECP) based on threatened marine megafauna distribution, biodiversity richness, and ecosystem functionality. ECP exercises for the Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphin in Chinese and adjacent northern Vietnamese waters were conducted based on the Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphin distribution, Hill‐2 biodiversity index, and marine net primary productivity. Habitat protection priorities were scored using the program MARXAN and were used to identify special areas for conservation (SACs) for the Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphin. To ensure the minimal risk of local extinction, the SACs enclosed a total of 26,858 km2 of waters, accounting for 49.9% of core habitats of the Indo‐Pacific humpback dolphin and 24.3% of the IUCN Red List species in the study region. To enclose 30% of biodiversity richness and ecosystem functionality, a total of 40,179 km2 SACs was required. In the context of threatened marine megafauna conservation, megafauna distribution can be used to highlight focal areas, while information on biodiversity richness and ecosystem functionality should be factored in. Using surrogates with different ecological niches would be a better tactic to ensure sufficient protection coverage by minimizing the omission bias. The conservation of threatened marine megafauna in coastal and estuarine waters shares similar objectives with global marine biodiversity conservation. The challenges to conduct ECP exercises come from data scarcity and poor data quality in representing distributions of biodiversity features. A certified open‐access database that shares survey effort, occurrence, population density, and habitat mapping at national and local scales is recommended. Such a result requires national planning, investment, and policing.

A robust, systematic approach for developing the biodiversity sector's input for multi-sector Marine Spatial Planning

As countries commit to developing their ocean-based economies sustainably, it is critical to secure the underlying marine biodiversity and ecological processes. Ecosystem-based Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) can support achieving this; however, because competition for ocean space is increasing, biodiversity prioritisation must be spatially efficient, conflict-averse, and robust to secure marine biodiversity appropriately. South Africa has a long history and real-world success in spatial planning on land; we aim to draw on this experience to develop an approach by which the biodiversity sector's input to MSP can be developed, in the context of MSP unfolding in South Africa. We used Marxan to develop the first National Coastal and Marine Map of Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBAs) and Ecological Support Areas (ESAs). There were 976 biodiversity features and design elements, and the cost layer aimed to avoid conflict with 19 sea-use sectors and avoid more heavily impacted areas. Biodiversity targets were met in 27.0% of the planning domain (5.4% Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), 21.6% CBAs), with 6.6% for ESAs. Sea-use guidelines were developed based on a matrix of activity compatibility with the management objective for CBAs (keep or restore to natural) and ESAs (avoid further degradation), with MPAs managed through their gazetted regulations. The CBA Map and sea-use guidelines formed the basis for the marine biodiversity sector plan for inclusion in MSP. This approach can be broadly applied, even with limited data, as the basis for multi-sector negotiations. We share seven recommendations from our experience to guide planners from other countries.

Evaluation of biodiversity benefits of proposed marine protected areas from the Sea Change—Tai Timu Tai Pari Hauraki Gulf MarineSpatial Plan

AbstractThe Sea Change—Tai Timu Tai Pari Hauraki Gulf Marine Spatial Plan is New Zealand's first marine spatial plan and represents a collaborative response from mana whenua, local stakeholders, and regional and national governmental agencies to the threats and stressors responsible for the declining natural state of the Hauraki Gulf ecosystems. From a biodiversity perspective, the main objectives of the plan are the recovery of depleted fishing stocks and the restoration of degraded marine habitats through a network of marine protected areas (MPAs), including highly protected areas that allow for customary practices. While some information on biodiversity, resource activities, and management layers was used to develop the MPA network proposals, they were developed without benefit of systematic conservation planning tools. Here, systematic conservation planning software was used to assess the conservation benefits of different no‐take MPA network proposals, using available biodiversity and habitat datasets. The analysis indicates that while the proposed MPAs provide protection for some biodiversity features that were identified by the stakeholders, the inclusion of newly available biodiversity datasets under a systematic conservation planning approach could improve conservation outcomes.