Face Extinction Research Articles

Trending extinctions: online interest in recently extinct animals

AbstractHalf of all species are predicted to face extinction by the end of the century. Despite this, awareness of certain species' extinctions remains surprisingly muted, highlighting the need to improve and quantify public awareness. We explore the connection between biodiversity loss and public awareness by quantifying the changes in online interest on Twitter (now known as X) and Wikipedia both before and after the extinctions of eight species and following their reclassification in the IUCN Red List. Our findings reveal that extinction announcements generally spike online interest for most species, albeit briefly on Twitter (i.e. tweets and retweets about species), while Wikipedia (i.e. article pageviews of species) exhibits a more prolonged interest. IUCN reports were generally not associated with increased interest. Coordinated media coverage, especially when aligned with broader environmental narratives and key events, enhanced the impact of extinction announcements. On Twitter, spatially we observed a shift from local to global interest of users following extinction. We also found a small subset of influential users on Twitter, including content creators and media organisations, who disproportionately shaped conservation discussions. Environmentally oriented individuals and organisations also play a significant role, collectively comprising a third of the top retweeted users. Overall, these results highlight the need for conservation bodies, such as the IUCN, to engage more directly both with media organisations and content creators in order to drive public interest for conservation efforts, especially for less charismatic species. The tragedy of species extinction necessitates such efforts to ensure sustained and meaningful public awareness. Our findings also show that while social media outlets can generate global interest quickly, which may drive public discussions regarding ongoing extinctions and potential future de‐extinctions, this is likely to be short‐lived, underscoring the importance of alternative platforms such as Wikipedia, which can foster longer‐term engagement.

Future of Earthquake-Based Disaster Logistics and Futuristic Approaches

Disasters that occur in the world can be caused by natural as well as human-induced factors. These disasters cause damage to cities, villages, and inhabited areas, and also result in loss of life and property. Accurately and effectively planned disaster logistics management activities are crucial during these moments when life comes to a halt. Today, it is evident that cities suffer damage or even face extinction due to deficiencies in planning, coordination, and opportunities within these practices. To mitigate the consequences of disasters and minimize damage, it is essential to always be prepared for such events and manage them well before, during, and after they occur. Disaster logistics practices should be dynamic and tailored to the specific event, suitable for addressing the situation at hand. Each disaster requires a unique set of solutions that depend on the area and geography affected. Therefore, disaster logistics must adopt and develop new approaches with a sustainable perspective. Given that earthquakes are among the disasters that occur frequently in our country, there is a critical need to create earthquake-based disaster management and action plans. Looking at disaster logistics from a futuristic perspective, it is clear that digital transformation technologies can have a significant and beneficial impact, making disaster logistics services more efficient, innovative, and solution oriented. The study conducted a literature review within the framework of qualitative research methodology, providing a detailed analysis of the role of digital transformation technologies in earthquake logistics processes. The literature review was conducted by reviewing relevant academic articles, reports, books, and scientific research. Special emphasis was placed on studies published in the last 10 years, focusing on the intersection of disaster logistics and digital transformation technologies.

Assessing the Role of Bacterial Innate and Adaptive Immunity as Barriers to Conjugative Plasmids.

Plasmids are ubiquitous mobile genetic elements, that can be either costly or beneficial for their bacterial host. In response to constant viral threat, bacteria have evolved various immune systems, such as the prevalent restriction modification (innate immunity) and CRISPR-Cas systems (adaptive immunity). At the molecular level, both systems also target plasmids, but the consequences of these interactions for plasmid spread are unclear. Using a modeling approach, we show that restriction modification and CRISPR-Cas are effective as barriers against the spread of costly plasmids, but not against beneficial ones. Consequently, bacteria can profit from the selective advantages that beneficial plasmids confer even in the presence of bacterial immunity. While plasmids that are costly for bacteria may persist in the bacterial population for a certain period, restriction modification and CRISPR-Cas can eventually drive them to extinction. Finally, we demonstrate that the selection pressure imposed by bacterial immunity on costly plasmids can be circumvented through a diversity of escape mechanisms and highlight how plasmid carriage might be common despite bacterial immunity. In summary, the population-level outcome of interactions between plasmids and defense systems in a bacterial population is closely tied to plasmid cost: Beneficial plasmids can persist at high prevalence in bacterial populations despite defense systems, while costly plasmids may face extinction.

Spectral Diversity as a Predictor of Tree Diversity: Exploring Challenges and Opportunities Across Forest Ecosystems

Forests are crucial for ecosystem health, climate regulation, and biodiversity. However, many tree species face extinction threats, requiring active monitoring for conservation. The spectral variation hypothesis (SVH) suggests that spectral diversity can serve as a proxy for ground-measured biodiversity. Despite its promise, SVH’s application has shown inconsistent results, complicating its use in biodiversity monitoring. This study examines the relationship between tree diversity and Sentinel-2-derived spectral diversity across Quebec’s forests, analyzing 2531 inventory plots using a combination of spectral analysis, cluster analysis and random forest (RF) regressions. We evaluate four biodiversity indices: species richness, Shannon diversity, functional dispersion, and percent conifer. Our analysis reveals overlapping spectral signatures that make it challenging to differentiate between varying levels of species richness, Shannon diversity, and functional dispersion. However, percent conifer shows spectral separability and can be stratified using unsupervised k-means clustering. Using RF regression models, only the percent conifer models demonstrated strong performance (R2 = 0.77), while models for the other biodiversity indices did not exceed an R2 of 0.46. This study highlights the complex relationship between spectral diversity and tree diversity, and suggests that future research should aim to improve the understanding of the relationship, or lack thereof, between ground-measured biodiversity indices and relatable spectral metrics.

Amazonian amphibians: diversity, spatial distribution patterns, conservation and sampling deficits.

The Amazon biome is home to the largest tropical forest on the planet and has the greatest global biodiversity on Earth. Despite this, several less charismatic taxonomic groups, such as amphibians, lack comprehensive studies on their species richness and spatial distribution in the Amazon Region. In this study, we investigated: i) patterns of richness and endemism of Amazonian amphibians across geopolitical and biogeographic divisions, ii) similarities between different Amazonian bioregions, iii) temporal trends in amphibian sampling, iv) conservation status of amphibians according to assessments of the IUCN and v) the importance of diverse data sources in building a robust database of amphibian occurrences. We aggregated data from four different sources: publicly accessible platforms, peer-reviewed articles, grey literature and fieldwork inventories spanning 15 years (2007-2021), ultimately compiling 160,643 records of 947 species across 7,418 sampled sites. The greatest diversity of species was found in Peru, Brazil and Ecuador, with notable amphibian diversity and endemism in regions such as the western basins and the Tapajós River Basin in the central-southern Amazon. Geographical analysis of species diversity revealed four distinct groups defined by latitudinal (the Amazon River) and longitudinal (the Juruá, Madeira and Tapajós Rivers) gradients, with low species similarity (< 40%), particularly in the basins of north-western Amazonia. Amphibian sampling in the Amazon has intensified since the 1950s with the establishment of important research centres such as INPA and the GOELD Museum in the Brazilian Amazon. Approximately 18% of Amazonian amphibian species face extinction risk, according to IUCN assessments, highlighting the need for comprehensive data sources to understand and conserve species in this megadiverse region. Our findings suggest that river systems likely influence Amazonian amphibian species composition due to biogeographic history, emphasising the need for robust taxonomic and spatial databases. This study, therefore, contributes a valuable large-scale dataset for Amazonian amphibians, guiding future research and strategies for amphibian conservation.

Quantifying the Capacity for Assisted Migration to Achieve Conservation and Forestry Goals Under Climate Change

ABSTRACTAimMany tree species may be threatened with declines in range and biomass, or even extinction, if they cannot disperse or adapt quickly enough to keep pace with climate change. One potential, and potentially risky, strategy to mitigate this threat is assisted migration (AM), the intentional movement of species to facilitate population range shifts to more climatically suitable locations under climate change. The ability for AM to minimise risk and maximise conservation and forestry outcomes depends on a multi‐faceted decision process for determining, what, where and how much to move. We provide an assessment on how the benefits and risks of AM could affect the decision‐making process.LocationMountainous coastal western United States.TaxonTrees.MethodsWe used a dynamic vegetation model parameterised with 23 tree species.ResultsWe found that most of the modelled species are likely to experience a substantial decline in biomass, with many potentially facing regional extinction by 2100 under the high‐emission SSP5‐85 climate‐change scenario. Though simulations show AM had little effect on the forestry goal of total biomass across all species, its effects on the conservation goal of promoting individual species' persistence were far more substantial. Among eight AM strategies (differing in the life cycle stage of movement and target destination selection criteria), the approach that conserved the highest biomass for individual species involved relocating target seedlings to areas that recently experienced fire. Although this strategy significantly reduced extinction risk for six at‐risk species compared with no action, it also slightly reduced biomass of four species, due to increasing competition. Species with relatively weak tolerance to drought, fire or high temperature were the most likely candidate groups for AM.Main ConclusionsOur simulations indicate that AM can aid conservation by reducing extinction risks for species vulnerable to climate change, but it has limited impact on forestry‐specific goals, affecting overall biomass minimally. This model framework could be applied to other forest ecosystems to evaluate the efficacy of AM globally.

Standardized Sperm Cryofreezing Technique for Caspian Sea Sturgeons (Huso huso, Acipenser persicus, Acipenser stellatus, Acipenser nudiventris)

Sturgeons, considered `living fossils,` face extinction due to various factors, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. The present study describes a uniform sperm cryopreservation method for the endangered Caspian Sea sturgeon species, which are beluga (Huso huso), Persian (Acipenser persicus), stellate (Acipenser stellatus), and ship (Acipenser nudiventris) sturgeons for both artificial reproduction and ex-situ conservation attempts. For this aim, sperm samples were diluted 1:1 in extender composed of 118 mM Tris buffer (pH=8) and 23.4 mM sucrose-based extender containing 15% DMSO and equilibrated for one hour at 4°C. Then, sperm samples were placed into 0.50-ml straws and multi-stage cooling was applied to freeze with the help of a programmable freezer with an accuracy of ±0.1C/min, and finally stored in liquid nitrogen (-196C) tank. Thawing was performed at 40°C water baths for 25 s. The results indicated that storage for two years resulted in a 24.7% fertilization rate for the stellate sturgeon, while the Persian sturgeon had a remarkable rate of 58.2% after five years storage.

A promising strategy for conservation of endemic plant Euonymus koopmannii

Abstract. Gubaidullin N, Kali B, Tussipkan D, Manabayeva SA. 2024. A promising strategy for conservation of Central Asian endemic plant Euonymus koopmannii. Biodiversitas 25: 3114-3120. Cryopreservation of endemic plants is necessary to safeguard the biodiversity and genetic resources of unique species that may face extinction due to climate change or human activities. This process enables the long-term preservation of their genetic information and ensures the possibility of restoring these species. Euonymus koopmannii Lauche is, known as E. nanus var. turkestanicus, is a native to Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries. The E. koopmannii is listed in the Red Book of Kazakhstan and has ecological importance in soil stabilization and its decorative value. This study aims to contribute to the conservation efforts of E. koopmannii by establishing an effective cryopreservation protocol for its meristems. This study has identified for the first time an optimized cryopreservation protocol for E. koopmannii meristems involving specific treatment durations and osmotic solutions. The protocol resulted in a significantly higher survival rate (60%) when meristems were precultured with 0.3 M sucrose, treated with Plant Vitrification Solution 2 for 30 min., and regenerated on a medium with 20 g/L sucrose. Secondly, a comparative analysis of cryopreserved regenerates with a control group has revealed that cryopreservation negatively impacted the plant height but significantly increased the number of meristem shoots and roots. This finding highlights the trade-off between growth and root development in cryopreserved plants. Thirdly, the presented optimization of the cryopreservation protocol provides valuable insights for the preservation and regeneration of E. koopmannii meristems. It emphasizes the critical importance of precise treatments and the composition of the nutrient medium to achieve successful cryopreservation and subsequent recovery of plants in tissue culture. This research provides essential information for conserving E. koopmannii, shedding light on the intricate balance required to apply cryopreservation techniques effectively.

Deterministic vs. stochastic dynamics of a predator–prey system with disease in prey: Impact of fear and supplementary foods

In this study, we delve into the dynamics of a generalist predator–prey system with prevalence of a disease in the prey population and the presence of predator-induced fear. In this intricate ecological web, the fear response triggered by predators influences the birth rate of susceptible prey population and also escalates intra-specific competition among them. In an effort to encapsulate a more realistic scenario, we extend our deterministic model to its stochastic counterpart by introducing environmental white noise that impacts the mortality rates of both prey and predator species. Comprehensive mathematical analyses are performed on both the deterministic and stochastic systems to elucidate their qualitative behaviors. Specifically, we derive conditions under which the stochastic system exhibits a unique global positive solution and explore the potential extinction of species within the ecosystem. To unravel the intricate dynamics numerically, we perform sensitivity of parameters, and construct one- and two-parameter bifurcation diagrams. Our investigations reveal that when the costs of fear surpass specific thresholds and disease incidence is high, both the susceptible and infected prey populations face extinction. Notably, the introduction of supplementary foods can lead to system’s destabilization, potentially pushing it towards a state where only predators can persist. Moreover, we observe that lower intensities of white noise have minimal impact on the system’s dynamics, while higher noise intensities introduce substantial fluctuations and may precipitate the extinction of species within the ecosystem. Furthermore, we elucidate the abundances of prey and predator species within the ecosystem through histogram plots.

Entomophagy: A sustainable food alternative to save planet

Climate change not only fringes rising average temperatures but shifting wildlife populations, rising seas, extreme weather events and other impacts. These changes are due to addition of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere due to impact of human activities. One of the important human activities which are a major contributor of greenhouse gas is Animal Agriculture. Meat consumption is responsible for releasing greenhouse gases such as methane, CO, and nitrous oxide. Livestock production accounts for 14.5% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, with beef having the highest footprint due to large amounts of methane that an average cow produces. Agriculture accounts for 92% of the freshwater footprint of humanity; almost 35% relates to animal farming. The production of meat is directly and indirectly related to the loss of forests in South America, Amazon Rainforest and other areas of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. And many species face extinction or are under threat due to the destruction of natural environments. Sustainable alternative to going meat-free is entomophagy or insect farming which produces about 100 times less greenhouse gases per kg of mass organism gain. Edible insects like grasshoppers, crickets and mealworms are rich in protein and contain significantly higher sources of minerals such as iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium than beef. Regardless of its environmental benefits, entomophagy comes with its unique set of challenges.

Elevation modulates the impacts of climate change on the Brazilian Cerrado flora

AbstractAimClimate change is causing species distribution to shift across the globe. Lowland taxa are moving upslope with warming, while montane species face extinction. We tested the hypothesis that elevation controls the future distribution of plant species in the Brazilian Cerrado, home of 3.5% of the Earth's flowering plants (c. 5000 endemic species) in just 0.4% of the planet's land surface.LocationCerrado region in Brazil.MethodsWe estimated geographical range shifts of 7398 angiosperm species by 2040 using species distribution models (SDMs). We stacked the SDMs to derive the temporal variations of species richness and composition over the Cerrado.ResultsOur results show that between 50 and 52% of the Cerrado flora will experience net range loss due to climate change. While montane species were more likely to lose range, range gain was more common among lowland taxa. We estimate that 68–73% of the Cerrado extent will face net species losses by 2040. Net species loss was more likely to occur below 743–798 metres above sea level. Virtually the entire Cerrado will experience some level of species replacement due to climate change and species turnover will intensify as elevation increases.Main ConclusionsOur findings suggest that upslope migration allows lowland plants to track climate change (‘winners’), whereas montane taxa do not (‘losers’). As species move upslope, lowlands become local extinction hotspots and mountains harbour novel plant assemblages. Therefore, elevation exerts a central role in shaping Cerrado flora responses to climate change and potentially the long‐term efficacy of conservation and restoration efforts.

Complex dynamics in a two species system with Crowley–Martin response function: Role of cooperation, additional food and seasonal perturbations

This research article investigates the interaction between prey and a generalist predator, considering the effect of hunting cooperation. The predator–prey interaction is modeled using a predator dependent functional response, specifically the Crowley–Martin type. System’s dynamics are explored using both analytical and numerical techniques. Feasible equilibria are analyzed, and their local stability is determined. Various bifurcations in the system are explored, and one-and two-parameter bifurcation structures are constructed to unveil complex dynamical behaviors. Our findings reveal that both prey and predator face extinction when the predator growth rate from alternative food sources exceeds certain threshold values. However, prey extinction is driven by the higher levels of hunting cooperation among predators, while the availability of external food sources enhances the system’s stability and persistence. Furthermore, we enhance the model by introducing seasonal perturbations, acknowledging the influence of seasonal variations on ecological parameters. The system exhibits diverse patterns in response to seasonality, contributing to a deeper understanding of the dynamics in predator–prey interactions.

Speculative worlds: anthropocentric realities and world-building in speculative documentaries

ABSTRACT This paper examines the anti-anthropocentric world-building in documentaries that employ aspeculative mode of inquiry and reckon with the ecological crisis. Dubbed speculative documentaries, they move beyond the Griersonian creative treatment of actuality toward a speculative treatment of subjectivity. Understanding their world-building encourages us to place the documentary within the interdisciplinary, multidimensional, and collective undertaking to address the Anthropocene and the increasing climate crisis. Slow Action (2010) imagines the evolution of species and ecosystems when isolated and surrounded by unsuitable habitats envisioning a science fiction future of island biogeography in face of extinction. Truth or Consequences (2020) considers the possible cataclysmic futurity as its present-day setting. It seeks to define the mode of speculative documentary as documentary footage placed into a fictionalized context where, as if it were science fiction, takes what is nascent today and treats it as though it is already happening. Jan Ijäs’s documentary series Waste (2016-ongoing) assumes a more-than-human approach to anthropogenic habitats by expanding on the concept of waste and critiquing the devastating human effect on the earth. The results are part ethnographic, part science fiction, offering a space for contemplation on constructed and natural environments that bewail and anticipate Earth’s transformation over time.

Adaptive Distribution and Vulnerability Assessment of Endangered Maple Species on the Tibetan Plateau

Climate change has had an almost irreversible impact on the distribution patterns of tree species on the Tibetan Plateau, driving some vulnerable species to the brink of extinction. Therefore, it is important to assess the vulnerability of tree species in climate-sensitive areas under the following three IPCC-CMIP6 scenarios: SSP126, SSP370, and SSP585. The MaxEnt model was used to predict adaptive distribution for one endangered (Acer wardii W. W. Smith (A. wardii)) and six vulnerable maple plants on the Tibetan Plateau under current and future conditions. We then evaluated their vulnerability using the landscape fragmentation index. Our results showed that the current adaptive areas of vulnerable maple species were mainly distributed in the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau. The dominant factors affecting adaptive areas were temperature annual range (BIO7) for Acer sikkimense Miq. and Acer sterculiaceum Wall.; annual precipitation (BIO12) for Acer cappadocicum Gled.; precipitation of driest month (BIO14) for Acer pectinatum Wall. ex G. Nicholson, Acer taronense Hand.-Mazz., and A. wardii; and subsoil clay fraction (S_CLAY) for Acer campbellii Hook.f. &amp; Thoms. ex Hiern (A. campbellii) Under the three future scenarios, the adaptive areas of maple on the Tibetan Plateau area shifted to the northwest, and habitat suitability increased in the northwestern part of the adaptive areas. In the SSP370 scenario, all seven species showed an increase in adaptive areas, while certain species decreased in some periods under the SSP126 and SSP585 scenarios. The status of the endangered maple species is likely to be even more fragile under the three future scenarios. A. wardii and A. campbellii are more vulnerable and may face extinction, requiring immediate attention and protection. In contrast, the vulnerability of the remaining five species decreased. In conclusion, this study provides recommendations for conserving vulnerable maple species on the Tibetan Plateau. Our data support understanding the distributional changes and vulnerability assessment of these tree species.

Futurability, Survivability, and the Non‐Steady State in the Intergenerational Sustainability Dilemma

The three pillars of society—democracy, the market, and science and technology—are not systems that guarantee survival. This is because they will cause “future failures” that will eventually impose heavy burdens on future generations. Therefore, we need to design mechanisms to reinforce these three systems. This is called future design. Its basic concept is “futurability,” which is the ability of the current generation to prioritize the interests of future generations. This study examines the necessity of futurability, its background, and its relationship with intergenerational equity. In particular, using a simple numerical model in which the investment of the current generation affects the resources of future generations, this article shows that if each generation looks only to its own interests, humanity will face extinction. To ensure the survivability of humanity, each generation must demonstrate futurability, especially the importance of demonstrating futurability in a non-steady state.

GC Insights: Fostering transformative change for biodiversity restoration through transdisciplinary research

Abstract. According to a 2019 United Nations report, of all the known species, up to 1 million face extinction globally. Despite being considered a pressing global risk with several international efforts to protect and to restore, biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems continue at an alarming rate. In December 2022, the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) saw the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, where four overarching international goals for biodiversity and 23 targets were set. While this is a positive step towards addressing the drivers of biodiversity loss, we will need not just public and political will but also more effective methods to integrate and use scientific information to reach the goals and targets outlined. To facilitate this, scientists and research institutions need to establish alternative and new approaches to transform the way science is conducted, communicated, and integrated into the policymaking process. This will require the scientific community to become proficient at working in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teams, establishing connectivity across scientific disciplines and engaging in the policymaking process to ensure that the best available scientific evidence is not only comprehensible to decision-makers but also timely and relevant. This commentary details how scientists can embrace transformative change within and outside of their own communities to increase the impact of their research and help reach global targets that benefit society.

Dissemination of indigenous knowledge in Mashonaland east province, Zimbabwe

Africa has a wealth of knowledge that is currently facing extinction unless drastic measures are taken to disseminate it. This study investigates the dissemination of indigenous knowledge by traditional leaders in the Mashonaland East Province in Zimbabwe. A qualitative methodology that used hermeneutic phenomenology and knowledge conversion theory was used to explore the dissemination of indigenous knowledge by traditional leaders in the Mashonaland East Province, in Zimbabwe. Purpose sampling was used to determine the study population. Data collected from interviews with traditional leaders and other members of the community were augmented with reviewed documents from the ministry responsible for the appointment of traditional leaders. Data was analysed thematically according to the study objectives. The findings of this study revealed that traditional leaders are among the custodians of indigenous knowledge who should ensure that indigenous knowledge is preserved for posterity. It was established that the constitution of Zimbabwe empowers traditional leaders to guard jealously the indigenous knowledge of their communities through the development of strategies for spreading the knowledge to future generations. Various indigenous knowledge scholars concurred that the lack of proper dissemination of indigenous knowledge culminates in its extinction. Dissemination strategies that include the use of information communication technologies were proposed. Furthermore, the study recommends that indigenous knowledge should first be captured and documented to enable greater dissemination.

LEARNING INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN KENYA: OVERVIEW, PROBLEMS AND THE WAY FORWARD

&lt;p&gt;Indigenous languages face extinction in the near future despite the important role they play in communication, cultural preservation, and identity of indigenous people. The threat is the direct consequence of colonialism and colonial practices and is currently exacerbated by globalization. Article 13 of the United Nations Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples guarantees rights to these peoples to revitalize, use, develop, and transmit to future generations their languages, oral traditions, writing systems, and literatures. Further, it provides that states shall take effective measures to protect this right, including through interpretation in political, legal, and administrative proceedings. Consequently, Kenya’s language-in-education policy dating from the colonial period has been supportive of the teaching of indigenous languages in schools. For example, in the more recent curriculum reforms of 2017, Kenya set out to offer indigenous languages both as a medium of instruction and as a subject right from pre-primary to lower secondary levels of education as spelled out in the Basic Education Curriculum Framework. However, weak enforcement of the language policy coupled with a myriad of implementation challenges have been major drawbacks to the success of indigenous language instruction in schools. Hence the discussions about the importance of the use of indigenous languages in schools are still hotly debated. Therefore, the focus of this paper is to present an overview of and problems of learning indigenous languages in public primary schools in Kenya. Finally, relevant suggestions have been put forward to overcome the problems.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0073/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Local adaptation and future climate vulnerability in a wild rodent

As climate change continues, species pushed outside their physiological tolerance limits must adapt or face extinction. When change is rapid, adaptation will largely harness ancestral variation, making the availability and characteristics of that variation of critical importance. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing and genetic-environment association analyses to identify adaptive variation and its significance in the context of future climates in a small Palearctic mammal, the bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus). We found that peripheral populations of bank vole in Britain are already at the extreme bounds of potential genetic adaptation and may require an influx of adaptive variation in order to respond. Analyses of adaptive loci suggest regional differences in climate variables select for variants that influence patterns of population adaptive resilience, including genes associated with antioxidant defense, and support a pattern of thermal/hypoxic cross-adaptation. Our findings indicate that understanding potential shifts in genomic composition in response to climate change may be key to predicting species’ fate under future climates.

Reinventory of permanent plots show that kelo lichens face an extinction debt

Intensive forestry has led to landscape level deficits of important substrates such as deadwood and its associated biodiversity. Several taxa face extinction debts due to continuous declines and lack of regeneration of important habitats. Deadwood-dependent lichens are of great conservation concern due to a general lack of deadwood and due to their slow establishment, especially of rare species. In a field restoration experiment in central Sweden, we studied deadwood-dependent lichens for eight years, their association to different types of deadwood and their response to environmental change caused by variable retention forestry, deadwood enrichment and prescribed burning. Prescribed burning and site preparation caused depauperate lichen species assemblages throughout the study period but retention felling did not majorly affect lichen species assemblages. We found that lichen species were nested along deadwood qualities and deadwood created in the experiment only hosted a subset of lichen species found on kelo wood. Despite large reductions of kelo wood with lichen occurrences over the study period, overall species richness did not decrease. The fact that a large part of the lichen community occur only on kelo wood and that kelo wood is not regenerated implies that lichens associated with kelo wood face an extinction debt. In order to avoid local extinctions of deadwood-dependent lichens, site preparation and prescribed burning should be avoided in areas rich in high quality deadwood. There is urgent need to start creating new kelo wood through reoccurring fires in order to halt the impending extinction debt.