Important Site For Conservation Research Articles

Foraging movements and important sites for conservation of the West African Crested Tern Thalasseus albididorsalis breeding in Guinea-Bissau

Assessing at-sea distributions and behaviour of seabirds to identify critical foraging sites and spatial overlap with potential threats is a major step for delineating conservation guidelines. The West African Crested Tern (Thalasseus albididorsalis) is the most abundant breeding tern in West Africa, nesting from Mauritania to Guinea. Its restricted breeding range and exclusive nesting at coastal low-lying areas, place this species at particular risk of losing suitable breeding and resting sites as a consequence of current global changes, namely, sea-level rise. The at-sea distribution of this species is mostly unknown, and therefore, the specific threats faced are still unidentified. Here, we characterize the foraging behaviour and distribution of West African Crested terns breeding at the world’s second-largest colony of the species, in Guinea-Bissau, by tracking 20 individuals. Overall, terns took an average of 2 trips per day, travelling on average 100 km per trip, but often reaching areas up to 120 km from the colony. Shallow waters, usually not exceeding 10 m in depth, and upwelling areas were mostly used as foraging sites. Nocturnal movements, rarely reported on terns, suggest active foraging at night. Key foraging and resting sites were identified, which altogether may regularly hold 2.5–23% of the global breeding population of the West African Crested Tern. These areas are only partly (ca. 50%) covered by the existing marine Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA). Therefore, our results should be considered in any re-evaluation of the IBA borders.

Diversity, Taxonomic Novelty, and Encoded Functions of Salar de Ascotán Microbiota, as Revealed by Metagenome-Assembled Genomes.

Salar de Ascotán is a high-altitude arsenic-rich salt flat exposed to high ultraviolet radiation in the Atacama Desert, Chile. It hosts unique endemic flora and fauna and is an essential habitat for migratory birds, making it an important site for conservation and protection. However, there is limited information on the resident microbiota's diversity, genomic features, metabolic potential, and molecular mechanisms that enable it to thrive in this extreme environment. We used long- and short-read metagenomics to investigate the microbial communities in Ascotán's water, sediment, and soil. Bacteria predominated, mainly Pseudomonadota, Acidobacteriota, and Bacteroidota, with a remarkable diversity of archaea in the soil. Following hybrid assembly, we recovered high-quality bacterial (101) and archaeal (6) metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), including representatives of two putative novel families of Patescibacteria and Pseudomonadota and two novel orders from the archaeal classes Halobacteriota and Thermoplasmata. We found different metabolic capabilities across distinct lineages and a widespread presence of genes related to stress response, DNA repair, and resistance to arsenic and other metals. These results highlight the remarkable diversity and taxonomic novelty of the Salar de Ascotán microbiota and its rich functional repertoire, making it able to resist different harsh conditions. The highly complete MAGs described here could serve future studies and bioprospection efforts focused on salt flat extremophiles, and contribute to enriching databases with microbial genome data from underrepresented regions of our planet.

Micromollusk families in 2 contrasting seasons in Bahia de los Angeles, Gulf of California, Mexico

Marine mollusks provide important ecosystem services. They create habitats for benthic organisms, filter water, biodeposit organic carbon in the seafloor, and serve as food sources for other organisms. Studies of mollusk diversity require time-consuming methods to process samples and identify species. Thus, it is not surprising that most studies have focused on macromollusks that can be collected and processed easily, ignoring micromollusk species. Without understanding the ecology and distributions of micromollusks properly, it is impossible to assess their populations and implement adequate conservation measures. Here we present microgastropods collected in Bahia de los Angeles at the family level for September 2013 (summer) and February 2014 (winter). During each season, we sampled 6 coastal sediment stations, and analyzed depth, salinity, temperature, granulometry, and organic matter. A total of 20,353 specimens were collected: 15,310 in summer and 5,043 in winter. Seven micromollusk families were identified: Barleeidae, Caecidae, Cerithiidae, Eulimidae, Pyramidellidae, Rissoidae, and Tornidae. Caecidae and Barleeidae exhibited the highest densities among all families in summer and winter, respectively (278,044 ind·m–2, 142,222 ind·m–2). The lowest densities for summer and winter were observed for the Tornidae family (~1,867 ind·m–2, ~1,411 ind·m–2). Barleeidae, Caecidae, Cerithiidae, Rissoidae, and Tornidae were classified as herbivorous and detritivorous; Eulimidae and Pyramidellidae, as carnivorous and ectoparasitic. Tornidae and Eulimidae showed symbiotic relationships with various invertebrate species. The Bayesian analysis of variance indicated a high probability of differences only in summer (BF > 3). When comparing the stations in both periods, all stations, except station 6, showed differences between periods (BF > 3). The canonical correlation analysis indicated some associations between family abundances and temperature. This study provides valuable information that expands the knowledge of micromollusk biodiversity in the coastal area of Bahia de los Angeles, an important site for conservation in Mexico.

The marine avifauna of Matthew and Hunter Islands, two remote volcanoes of the New Hebrides chain

The marine avifauna of Matthew and Hunter Islands, two remote volcanoes of the New Hebrides chain Breeding birds recorded on Matthew and Hunter Islands in the tropical southwestern Pacific between 1973 and 2018 are summarised from a compilation of reports, for which various methods were used for counting seabirds. These methods included line transects, or direct observations using telescope or binoculars, or exhaustive counts, depending on the species observed and its nesting habitat. Population size estimates and reproductive periods are given. The total number of seabird species recorded breeding on the two islands was n = 14. This total includes seabird species breeding on both islands (n = 7): black-winged petrel Pterodroma nigripennis, wedge-tailed shearwater Ardenna pacifica, red-tailed tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda, masked booby Sula dactylatra, brown booby S. leucogaster, brown noddy Anous stolidus, and grey noddy A. albivitta. Hunter island also harbours a small colony of Herald petrel Pterodroma heraldica, and colonies of lesser and great frigatebirds (Fregata ariel and F. minor), red-footed booby S. sula and, black noddy A. minutus and white tern Gygis alba. Matthew Island harbours a large colony of sooty tern Onychoprion fuscatus; an undetermined storm petrel may also breed there. Differences between the two islands regarding community composition of seabirds are explained by the absence of trees on Matthew Island and the presence of the Polynesian rat Rattus exulans on Hunter Island. Brown noddies bred exclusively during the austral summer, as did black-winged petrels and wedge-tailed shearwaters, while the Herald petrel and the two frigatebirds seemed to preferentially breed in the winter. The red-tailed tropicbird, the three boobies, the grey noddy and the sooty tern appeared to reproduce year-round. Disturbance caused by human activities was irregular but devastating to seabird colonies. The diversity and abundance of seabird species breeding on these islands makes them regionally important sites for conservation. Key words: Seabird, Population, Reproduction, Threats, Polynesian rat; Helicopters

Quantifying annual spatial consistency in chick-rearing seabirds to inform important site identification

Animal tracking has afforded insights into patterns of space use in numerous species and thereby informed area-based conservation planning. A crucial consideration when estimating spatial distributions from tracking data is whether the sample of tracked animals is representative of the wider population. However, it may also be important to track animals in multiple years to capture changes in distribution in response to varying environmental conditions. Using GPS-tracking data from 23 seabird species, we assessed the importance of multi-year sampling for identifying important sites for conservation during the chick-rearing period, when seabirds are most spatially constrained. We found a high degree of spatial overlap among distributions from different years in most species. Multi-year sampling often captured a significantly higher portion of reference distributions (based on all data for a population) than sampling in a single year. However, we estimated that data from a single year would on average miss only 5 % less of the full distribution of a population compared to equal-sized samples collected across three years (min: −0.3 %, max: 17.7 %, n = 23). Our results suggest a key consideration for identifying important sites from tracking data is whether enough individuals were tracked to provide a representative estimate of the population distribution during the sampling period, rather than that tracking necessarily take place in multiple years. By providing an unprecedented multi-species perspective on annual spatial consistency, this work has relevance for the application of tracking data to informing the conservation of seabirds.

Effects of rainfall in the arid zone on waterbird abundance at a wastewater treatment plant in coastal South Australia

We investigated which species of waterbirds at Bolivar, a wastewater treatment plant in Metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia, are likely to have been immigrants from the ephemeral wetlands in the arid zone. To do this, we compared the abundance of waterbird species observed at Bolivar during the dry period in the eastern arid zone of late 2018 and 2019 with that during the subsequent wet period 2020–2022. Pink-eared Duck Malacorhynchus membranaceus, Grey Teal Anas gracilis, Australasian Shoveler Spatula rhynchotis, Hardhead Aythya australis and Blue-billed Duck Oxyura australis were all more abundant during the arid-zone dry period. By contrast, Australian Shelduck Tadorna tadornoides, Eurasian Coot Fulica atra and Black Swan Cygnus atratus showed increased abundance in spring and early summer in all years, with no marked differences between the dry and wet periods in the arid zone. Wader species that breed in the Northern Hemisphere – Sharp-tailed Sandpiper Calidris acuminata and Red-necked Stint C. ruficollis – also tended to be more abundant during the arid-zone dry year, as did Red-necked Avocet Recurvirostra novaehollandiae, whereas Pied Stilt Himantopus leucocephalus tended to be more abundant in the arid-zone wet years, with breeding by this species taking place in spring. These data suggest that Bolivar is a critically important conservation site for waterbirds and that various species use this location as a refuge during dry times in the arid zone of eastern Australia.

Characterization of Jaguar Utilization Distributions in the Brazilian Pantanal

Jaguars (Panthera onca) have been eradicated from 50% of their historical range across Mexico, Central America, and South America. The Brazilian Pantanal in west-central Brazil represents a stronghold of core habitat for the species and is an important site for conservation. Habitat in the Pantanal is threatened largely due to expanding human activity causing habitat loss and fragmentation, making remaining habitat vitally significant. This study seeks to characterize the utilization distributions of jaguars in the area to better understand the habitat use and spatial ecology of a threatened species. GPS locations taken from 13 jaguars were used to calculate estimates of kernelhomesrangesatthe50% (core range)and 95% (home range)isopleth levels. These ranges were used to quantify habitat use in relation to land cover types. Patterns of distribution heavily followed waterways, perhaps following that of their main prey,caimans(Caiman crocodilus yacare). Wetlands were the most heavily utilized among all jaguars at the 95% home range followed by grasslands. However, at the 50% core range level there was a shift in greater utilization of forest habitat over grassland. Additionally, females generally had smaller home ranges than that of males and exhibited less overlap between home ranges(27 km2) than between male home ranges(217 km2) – a key indicator of female spatial avoidance.

Projected redistribution of sea turtle foraging areas reveals important sites for conservation

Identification of important habitats of charismatic marine megafauna is essential to enhance our conservation capacity. Still, for species such as sea turtles that have a long-life span, a complex life history and a highly migratory nature, spatially delineating important marine areas is not a simple task. Even in the case that such areas are identified, our ability to draw effective measures and propose conservation prioritization schemes faces additional challenges, due to the dynamic climate-driven redistribution of habitats. Here, we compile a database on foraging locations of loggerhead sea turtles across the Mediterranean Sea and use climatic niche models to predict the distribution of foraging grounds for juvenile and adult life stages. We explore potential shifts due to future changes in ocean temperature and identify sites, considered as important for both life stages, that will persist under climate change. We found extensive areas which could host foraging sites for juvenile loggerheads, distributed at the central and western Mediterranean, while adults’ foraging grounds had a more sparse and patchy distribution, mostly at the central and eastern part of the basin. Under future changes, expansions prevail over contractions, but projected redistribution of foraging space for both life stages will probably lead to remarkable losses of climatic suitability at certain sites. The coverage of important areas, hosted primarily at the neritic zone, will be extended in the future. Our analyses add a missing dimension to conservation efforts, related to the basin-wide distribution of important areas, offering novel insights towards incorporating climate change into conservation planning.

A new method to include fish biodiversity in river connectivity indices with applications in dam impact assessments

Abstract Different indices have been developed to quantify the extent and severity of river fragmentation. These indices vary depending on the specific goals of the study. Here, we present a new Conservation Connectivity Index (CCIP) for potamodromous fish species that considers the conservation value (richness, rarity and vulnerability) of river segments. The Iberian Peninsula holds > 20 endemic and endangered potamodromous fish species as well as > 1000 large dams (> 1 hm3 of capacity). The CCIP was calculated for the eight most important river basins of the Iberian Peninsula and compared to the Dendritic Connectivity Index (DCIP) developed by Cote et al. in 2009, which uses only river length as a habitat variable. With the use of both DCIP and CCIP, the dams were analysed and ranked according to their impacts on the river basin. The main results show that Iberian river basins are heavily fragmented, with river basin connectivity percentages of less than 20% in most cases using both DCIP and CCIP. CCIP values are slightly higher than DCIP values in almost all cases. When the impact of individual dams is analysed, differences also appear between the DCIP and CCIP. CCIP highlights the impact of dams located in areas of high fish conservation value while DCIP emphasize the impact of dams fragmenting large river segments. The CCIP appears to be adequate to highlight important sites for conservation in river connectivity studies. It could be applied in different studies and river basins around the world to prioritize dam removals or plan new dam locations.

Benefits over Threats: Understanding Community’s Motivation to Participate in Restoration Initiatives in Gunung Leuser National Park, Sumatra

Gunung Leuser National Park (GLNP), one of Indonesia’s most important conservation sites, has been facing serious pressures due to human activities both within its boundaries and in the buffer zones, leaving a large extent of degraded land in GLNP and its vicinity. As a response, the government along with several civil society organizations have been conducting restoration projects, especially around the borders of GLNP with concessions and villages. A centerpiece of many of these restoration initiatives is community participation. However, there have been limited studies to understand the driving factors of local people participation in such initiatives. In order to better understand what drives community participation in restoration initiatives around GLNP, we conducted a random survey to 111 respondents living in Sei Serdang and Namo Sialang Villages (Langkat District, North Sumatra), where restoration initiatives have been introduced. We found that they do not have a strong dependence on natural resources, which likely explains their rather neutral perspective on forests, i.e. they do not perceive any relations between forests, their livelihood, and threats due to deforestation. The absence of forest protection-related custom among population, mainly due to the cultural heterogeneity resulted from inward migration, further enhances their view on forests. Therefore, those who participated in the restoration initiatives were primarily driven by the opportunity to get additional income and improve their welfare. Based on these findings, we recommend that future restoration-related interventions in GLNP should appropriately consider community perception towards forests to ensure project sustainability and better resources management.

On Social Distress, Littering and Nature Conservation: The Case of Jisr A-Zarka

Studying perceptions of litter and littering behavior among marginalized, poor and undeveloped communities is important since these populations frequently inhabit important conservation sites. Jisr-A-Zarqa ("Jisr"), is a coastal town on the Mediterranean shores of Israel and one of Israel’s poorest, densely populated communities. Litter accumulation in the streets and beach of Jisr is a known problem, and its proximity to the nearby stream and beach makes the study of littering important for the conservation of the coastal and marine habitats. I studied residents’ perceptions of litter and littering practices and found that littering and waste accumulation are surface indicators of profound underlying social, economic and political constraints, problems and distresses. These must be considered as an integrated context and addressed when designing litter-reducing interventions.

An important site for conservation of bats in Brazil: Passa Três cave, São Domingos karst area, with an updated checklist for Distrito Federal (DF) and Goiás state

A checklist of bats from Distrito Federal (DF) and Goiás state (GO) and, particularly a single cave (Passa Três cave), located in São Domingos karst area (GO), central Brazil, is presented. Data is based on literature and surveys carried out during 2,000 years. In total, 66 species were recorded, with 30 using caves as shelters. Passa Três cave harbors nine Phyllostomidae species; the most abundant species werePlatyrrhinuslineatus, Lonchorhinaaurita,DesmodusrotundusandCarolliaperspicillata; and the less abundantsTrachopscirrhosus,AnouracaudiferandGlossophagasoricina. Besides, the cave is shelter of two threatened bats -Lonchophylladekeyseri(Endangered category) andLonchorhinaaurita(Vulnerable category), included at Brazilian List of Threatened Fauna, and of a rare species,Lionycterisspurrelli. Passa Três cave shows enough attributes to be considered as a SICOM (Sites of Importance for Conservation of Bats), which would ensure its protection.

Comparing pressures on national parks in Ghana and Tanzania: The case of Mole and Tarangire National Parks

Protected areas do not have immunity against biodiversity loss as their name may suggest. Different protected areas suffer different pressures based on location and the benefits and services expected from them. This paper tried to identify and compare the pressures and threats on the Mole National Park in Ghana and the Tarangire National Park in Tanzania. A section of the Rapid Assessment and Prioritization of Protected Areas Management (RAPPAM) was used to assess biological importance of, and pressures and threats on, the two parks. Household surveys were used to assess perceptions of respondents on forest and wildlife resources usage. The main pressures identified include poverty and high population density in neighboring communities. These underlying pressures manifest on the parks in the form of poaching, illegal grazing and frequent trespassing. Whilst residents in communities near the Tarangire NP hold the perception that access to forest products in park should be allowed, their counterparts near the Mole NP perceive wildlife to be a resource for their consumption. The two parks were also found to be important conservation sites in their respective countries because they each host IUCN threatened and endangered species and serve as cardinal tourists' destinations. The nature of the main pressures demands national-level action to curb population increase and alleviate poverty in the districts hosting the two national parks. The national action must be geared towards a strong collaboration between the parks and local communities to ensure that local communities offer their full support for conserving resources in the parks. Interventions to create alternative livelihood activities in neighboring communities would be a useful strategy to reduce dependency on forest and wildlife resources.

Freshwater Biodiversity of the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe: Assessing Conservation Priorities Using Primary Species-Occurrence Data

The Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe is a biodiversity hotspot that forms part of the Eastern Afromontane region, which has seen an increase in human activities such as agriculture, illegal mining, and introduction of invasive species. These anthropogenic activities have had negative environmental consequences including land degradation and water pollution, which have negatively impacted on the quality of aquatic habitats and biodiversity in the region. The region harbours several freshwater species of conservation interest whose numbers and distribution are little known. We also do not know the impacts of the ongoing human activities and threats on the local wetland biodiversity and the integrity of the ecosystem in the region. The relevant data on the wetland biodiversity from previous studies and surveys is also not readiliy available to guide poliies and conservation efforts in this region. With the aid of the Biodiversity Information for Development (BID) program sponsored by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the European Union (EU), a project titled 'Freshwater Biodiversity of the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe: Assessing Conservation Priorities Using Primary Species-Occurrence Data' has mobilized and digitized over 2,000 occurrence records on freshwater biodiversity, with a focus on fish, invertebrates, amphibians and bird species in the region, since October 2017. The project also makes use of biodiversity informatics tools such as ecological niche modelling, to identify the important sites for conservation of the freshwater biodiversity in this region. The outputs will help to show policy makers, wildlife managers, researchers and conservationists where to target resources and conservation efforts. This will also help protect the biodiversity that still existsin the unprotected wetlands of the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and that could be lost to human activities such as clearing for agriculture.

The nature and extent of terrestrial protected area coverage on the UK's Overseas Territories

SUMMARYSignatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed to the effective protection of at least 17% of the terrestrial environment by 2020 (Aichi Target 11). Here, we assess the coverage of terrestrial protected areas (land protected by legislation) on the UK's Overseas Territories. These 14 Territories are under the sovereignty of the UK, a signatory of the CBD, and are particularly biodiverse. Eight Territories have protected areas covering 17% or more of their land, but the extent of protection across these Territories as a whole is low, with only 4.8% of this land designated as protected. This protection covered 51% of sites already identified as of conservation importance (Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas), although only 8% of the area of these sites was protected. The expansion of effective protection to meet the 17% target provides an opportunity to capture the most important sites for conservation. Locally led designation will require an improvement in knowledge of the distribution and density of species. This, together with measures to ensure that the protection is enforced and effective, will require provision of resources. This should be seen as an investment in the UK meeting its obligations to Aichi Target 11.

Abundance estimates for the endangered Green PeafowlPavo muticusin Cambodia: identification of a globally important site for conservation

SummaryThe catastrophic decline of the endangered Green peafowlPavo muticusacross its former range is well known, yet there are only a handful of reliable population estimates for this species from its remaining range, making global assessment challenging. We present the first rigorous population estimates for this species from Cambodia, and model the distribution and the relationships between this species and several environmental covariates from the Core Zone (187,900 ha) of Seima Protection Forest (SPF), eastern Cambodia. Using distance sampling the abundance of Green Peafowl in SPF in 2014 is estimated to be 541 (95% CI [252, 1160]). Density surface modelling was used to predict distribution and relative abundance within the study area, and there was some evidence that the species prefers areas of deciduous forest, non-forest, and to a lesser extent semi-evergreen forest. These results highlight the importance of the central and northern sections of SPF for this species. Furthermore, the analysis suggested that Green Peafowl abundance is higher in closer proximity to water, yet decreases in closer proximity to human settlement.

Comparison of remote sensing indices for monitoring of desert cienegas

ABSTRACTThis research considers the applicability of different vegetation indices at 30 m resolution for mapping and monitoring desert wetland (cienega) health and spatial extent through time at Cienega Creek in southeastern Arizona, USA. Multiple stressors including the risk of decadal-scale drought, the effects of current and predicted global warming, and continued anthropogenic pressures threaten aquatic habitats in the southwest and cienegas are recognized as important sites for conservation and restoration efforts. However, cienegas present a challenge to satellite-imagery based analysis due to their small size and mixed surface cover of open water, exposed soils, and vegetation. We created time series of five well-known vegetation indices using annual Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images retrieved during the April–June dry season, from 1984 to 2011 to map landscape-level distribution of wetlands and monitor the temporal dynamics of individual sites. Indices included the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), and the Normalized Difference Infrared Index (NDII). One topographic index, the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI), was analyzed to examine the utility of topography in mapping distribution of cienegas. Our results indicate that the NDII, calculated using Landsat TM band 5, outperforms the other indices at differentiating cienegas from riparian and upland sites, and was the best means to analyze change. As such, it offers a critical baseline for future studies that seek to extend the analysis of cienegas to other regions and time scales, and has broader applicability to the remote sensing of wetland features in arid landscapes.

Protection of Norwegian orchids – a review of achievements and challenges

Norway has a rich and diverse orchid flora consisting of 36 species. Orchids are found throughout the country, but most of the species are confined to calcareous or base-rich substrates. Important orchid-rich types of vegetation include rich pine and spruce forests, rich deciduous forests, open calcareous meadows, rocky outcrops and screes, hay meadows and calcareous mires and fens. Many species are rare, and 17 species and 3 subspecies are red listed. 13 species are generally protected. Both the orchids and their habitats are susceptible to various disturbances such as e.g. building activities, road construction, quarrying, drainage, forestry and changes in agricultural practices (less intense grazing, termination of mowing), which has resulted in the continuation of the previously inhibited succession. Most of the types of habitat mentioned are important conservation sites and thus many orchid occurrences (e.g. of Cypripedium calceolus , Epipogium aphyllum , Epipactis palustris and Ophrys insectifera ) are protected by a network of nature reserves designated for these habitats. However, there is an urgent need to secure species with small populations in some of the mire reserves, and succession is also a problem in many of the reserves. Protection of the few existing localities for some species is also needed. A more detailed discussion of the status of the red listed species is presented.

Using camera trap data to assess the impact of bushmeat hunting on forest mammals in Tanzania

AbstractBushmeat hunting is a pantropical threat to rainforest mammals. Understanding its effects on species richness, community composition and population abundance is of critical conservation relevance. As data on the pre-hunting state of mammal populations in Africa are not generally available, we evaluated the impacts of illegal bushmeat hunting on the mammal community of two ecologically similar forests in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania. The forests differ only in their protection status: one is a National Park and the other a Forest Reserve. We deployed systematic camera trap surveys in these forests, amounting to 850 and 917 camera days in the Forest Reserve and the National Park, respectively, and investigated differences between the two areas in estimated species-specific occupancies, detectabilities and species richness. We show that the mammal community in the Forest Reserve is degraded in all aspects relative to the National Park. Species richness was almost 40% lower in the Forest Reserve (median 18 vs 29 species, highest posterior density intervals 15–30 and 23–47, respectively). Occupancy of most species was also reduced significantly and the functional community appeared significantly altered, with an increase in rodents, and loss of large carnivores and omnivores. Overall, our results show how ineffective reserve management, with almost absent law enforcement, leads to uncontrolled illegal hunting, which in turn has a significant impact on the mammal fauna of globally important sites for conservation.

Integrated conservation management using CMSi

CMSi (the Conservation Management System international) is a software suite of tools providing a dynamic site management system for important conservation areas. With a modular approach, CMSi enables all aspects of site management to be integrated, from management plans to asset inventories and land ownership transactions. CMSi is a very map-centric solution with integral mapping functionality based on open-source components, as well as offering integration with standard GIS packages: QGIS, ArcGIS and MapInfo.CMSi is owned by the Conservation Management System Consortium (CMSC), an international group of organisations working together to promote best practice in nature conservation and countryside management. The development and day-to-day management of the system is contracted to exeGesIS SDM Ltd — a specialist software development and environmental consultancy.This paper provides an insight into the early origins of CMS and then presents an overview of the system, describing how the key areas of functionality help support a site manager with the day-to-day tasks of planning and managing information. The paper includes particular reference to the spatial components of CMSi and the recently-developed species observations and vegetation mapping module and smartphone app. CMSi is unique in its approach to management planning and is the only system of its kind that integrates so many aspects of site management in a single suite of tools. It is now in use by more than 2000 staff in over 100 organisations to manage thousands of important conservation sites across several countries.