Key Biodiversity Research Articles

Two New Shellear Species (Gonorhynchiformes: Kneriidae), from the Luansa River (Upper Congo Basin): Hidden Diversity Revealed by Integrative Taxonomy

Two new Kneria species, K. luansaensis sp. nov. and K. maxi sp. nov., are described from the Luansa River, a left bank tributary of the lower Luapula in the Bangweulu–Mweru ecoregion, based on an integrative approach using morphological and COI barcoding evidence. While K. luansaensis sp. nov. occurs from the source of the Luansa further downstream to above the last of the three Sanshifolo Falls, K. maxi sp. nov. only occurs downstream of all these three major falls. In Kneria, males of about ≥ 33 mm LS have an opercular and a postopercular organ. The number of lamellae on the latter seems to contain some alpha-taxonomic information, although this requires further study as allometric changes occur at about ≤ 45 mm LS. Additional external morphological characters differ between sexes, i.e., the (i) pectoral fin width (wider in males than females), (ii) dorsal fin height (longer in males than females), and (iii) length of the longest ray of the lower caudal fin lobe (longer in males than females). Agriculture, fishing with ichthyotoxines, and logging are the most pressing threats on the Luansa and thus to both the new species. Their discovery in one of the rivers of the Kundelungu Plateau and its surroundings located outside the present-day boundaries of the Kundelungu National Park highlights the need for a refined and improved protection strategy for this freshwater key biodiversity area.

A global assessment of forest integrity within Key Biodiversity Areas

Forest ecosystems cover one third of the terrestrial land surface, with those that are still functioning and largely intact being critically important for the conservation of threatened and endemic biodiversity. Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are sites contributing significantly to the global persistence of biodiversity; >16,000 KBAs have been identified to date, almost half of which are of importance to forest species, including one-fifth that are important for one or more globally threatened species. It is important to track changes in forest integrity within KBAs to determine which important areas are under the greatest threat (so as to identify the actions needed), and also to track the overall effectiveness of conservation interventions. We utilised the Forest Landscape Integrity Index (FLII), which has been mapped globally at a 300 m resolution, to measure trends in forest integrity across 6844 KBAs of importance for forest biodiversity. In total 54 % (3.9 million km2) of these KBAs was forested, of which 44 % (1.7 million km2) is considered still to be of high integrity. South America, Africa and Asia were regions with the largest areas of high integrity forest within KBAs, while Oceania and Australasia had proportionally the highest amount of high forest integrity within their KBAs. We found that forest integrity was proportionally higher in larger KBAs, KBAs with larger proportions of forest, KBAs located close to other forested KBAs, and in protected KBAs. Unprotected and partially protected high-integrity forested KBA areas (making up 26 % of the current forested KBA estate) are among the highest priorities for assessing required conservation actions, including restoration to increase connectivity and reduce fragmentation and edge effects, and/or efforts to expand protected areas or other effective area-based conservation measures' (OECMs).

Mitochondrial phylogeny of fusilier fishes (family Caesionidae) from the Laccadive archipelago reveals a new species and two new records from the Central Indian Ocean.

Fusiliers of the family Caesionidae comprise a group of Indo-Pacific reef fishes important in the live bait and artisanal fisheries in many parts of its range, particularly in the Indian Ocean region. Using newly generated mitochondrial COI sequences of 10 species of caesionid fishes from the Laccadive archipelago, we carried out a molecular phylogenetic analysis, which has helped improve our understanding of the diversity, distribution, and systematics of this poorly known group of fishes. The two speciose genera within Caesionidae, Caesio and Pterocaesio, were revealed to be paraphyletic, and as a result, four names earlier considered as subgenera within Caesionidae (Flavicaesio, Odontonectes, Pisinnicaesio, and Squamosicaesio) were elevated to the status of distinct genera. We also discovered the presence of a new lineage in the Central Indian Ocean, sister to Caesio caerulaurea and Caesio xanthalytos, but distinct from both in several morphological characters and a genetic distance of between 2% and 3% in the mitochondrial COI gene. We describe this lineage as Caesio idreesi, a new species, with a distribution spanning the Laccadive Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Our genetic data also helped confirm the first confirmed records of two species, Pisinnicaesio digramma and Squamosicaesio randalli, from the Central Indian Ocean, and a new distribution record for C. xanthalytos in the Laccadive Sea. Combined, these results have helped bridge key biodiversity knowledge gaps of the family Caesionidae and form an excellent baseline for further investigations on their taxonomy, systematics, and life history.

An Integrated Approach to Analyze the Progress of Developing Economies in Asia toward the Sustainable Development Goals

This study endeavored to analyze the progress made to meet the Sustainable Development Goals in terms of resource use, sustainable production and consumption, and the triple planetary crisis (i.e., climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollutant emissions) at the national and regional levels in Asia. The study highlighted that the progress toward sustainable consumption and production is still not sufficient to meet the ambitious national targets. An urgent need for a comprehensive approach to address climate change, biodiversity loss, pollutant emissions, and resource use has been ascertained. China’s greenhouse gas emissions have surged tremendously. India is also endeavoring to decouple emissions from growth via renewable energy. Vulnerable Pakistan seeks emission reduction and financial aid. Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam outline emission reduction strategies. Land use change emerges as a key biodiversity loss driver, stressing the need for sustainable land policies and conservation. Material consumption highlights the call for production optimization, circular economies, and innovative technology. Energy’s role in development requires decoupling from growth through efficiency, renewables, and eco-friendly paths. Freshwater needs careful management for sustainability, and international collaboration and policy reform are urged for global water use efficiency. Decoupling trends between growth, resource use, and environmental impact show a complex pattern, with the feasibility of absolute decoupling limited by growth interdependence.

Co-occurrence of climate-change induced and anthropogenic pressures in Central American key biodiversity areas

Central America hosts many key biodiversity areas (KBAs), areas which represent unique and irreplaceable ecosystems of global importance for species conservation. However, large extents of these areas are not under legal protection and could be threatened by pressures from land use change (e.g. deforestation and agricultural expansion), high human population density (e.g. population growth and urban sprawl) and climate-driven biome shifts. Here, we simulated future biome stability under the influence of climate change across KBAs in the Mesoamerican biodiversity hot spot and combined the results with projections of land use and population density up to the end of the 21st century. We applied four forcing scenarios based on two global climate models (GFDL-ESM4 and IPSL-CM6A-LR) and two shared socio-economic pathways (SSP1-2.6 and SSP3-7.0), which represent a range from low to high emission pathways. Our model projected decreased biome stability in 39%–46% of protected areas in KBAs, whereas this number even increased to 59%–60% for unprotected areas in KBAs (depending on the climate scenario). While human interferences in protected parts of KBAs are expected to be limited, large parts of unprotected areas in KBAs were projected to be pressured by multiple factors at once and are reason for concern. In particular, high human population pressures (>10 people km−2) emerged as a main threat over 30%–44% of the unprotected area in KBAs. These were largely accompanied by pressures from land use and sporadically reinforced by pressures from climate-driven biome shifts. Among the hot spots facing multiple high pressures are some of the last tropical dry and montane forest ecosystems in Central America, which stresses the need for urgent conservation action.

Climate change impacts on tree crop suitability in Southeast Asia

Cultivation of tree crops such as coconut, oil palm and rubber are an important source of income in Southeast Asia, both for the national economies and for the local population. Climate change has the potential to drastically affect the suitability for growing these crops, but until now the impacts thereof on existing production areas have not been considered. This study combines climate change projections with data on crop cultivation to analyze how suitability for coconut, oil palm and rubber will change under different scenarios in Southeast Asia. We find that projected increases in total precipitation and longer dry periods in the insular part of Southeast Asia will result in 127,000 ha of current coconut and 1.17 Mha of current oil palm area will no longer be highly suitable under the most severe climate scenario. Conversely, increasing temperature in the mainland part of the region will cause 97,000 ha of current rubber cultivation area to become highly suitable. Increasing temperatures will also allow for potential expansion of rubber and coconut cultivation in the northern mainland part of the region, while the potential highly suitable area for oil palm cultivation will decrease. These changes in crop suitability may result in impacts on local farmers, including fall in yields and displacement of cultivation areas. This, in turn, may add pressure to biodiversity conservation in the region since areas that become highly suitable are disproportionally located within Key Biodiversity Areas.

Taxonomy, distribution, and contemporary exposure of terrestrial mammals to floods and human pressure across different areas for biodiversity conservation in China.

A significant research focus is placed on identifying animal species and areas at future risk to human-induced alterations of the environment and long-term changes in climatic conditions. Yet, the extent to which exposure to extreme climatic events and intense human pressure can increase the risk of harmful impacts on species remains poorly investigated. Focusing on terrestrial mammals in China, one of the world's megadiverse countries, we investigated patterns of contemporary exposure to floods and human pressures and determined their taxonomic representation and distribution across three major area-based conservation schemes, namely, national nature reserves (NNRs), priority areas for biodiversity conservation (PABCs), and key biodiversity areas (KBAs). Among the 440 species assessed with moderate or high exposure to floods, 327 (∼75%) also qualified as moderate or high in exposure to intense human pressure. These species mainly belong to the orders Chiroptera, Eulipotyphla, and Rodentia. Likewise, there were 305, 311, and 311 species with moderate or high exposure to flood and intense human pressure represented across NNRs, PABCs, and KBAs, respectively. Our findings support the prioritization of KBAs for expansion of site-based protection efforts such as NNRs in China, considering threats to species from exposure to adverse effects from both extreme climate and human pressure.

Assessing ecosystem health of floodplain lakes using an Integrated Bioassessment Index

Lakes within river-floodplain ecosystems are key biodiversity refuges majorly threatened by eutrophication and hydrologic river-lake fragmentation. However, an integrative index, specifically designed to comprehensively assess the health of floodplain lakes, considering multiple biological taxa and major stressors, remains unavailable. Based on biological data collected from 68 isolated lakes in the eastern plain lake region of China, we constructed a reliable index for assessing floodplain lake ecosystem health: Integrated Bioassessment Index (L-IBAI). The L-IBAI consists of components of overall health and species diversity, eutrophication, and hydrological connectivity and water level regimes. To construct the L-IBAI, we firstly used the observed species (SO)-area (A) model to predict the expected species richness (SE), and then developed observed to expected indices by calculating the SO/SE ratio for fish (F-O/E-SA) and benthos (B-O/E-SA). The health level thresholds for the other four indices, namely the ratio of Secchi depth and water depth (ZSD/ZM), chlorophyll a in phytoplankton (Chl a), the percent of rheophile fish species, and emergent macrophytes coverage, were determined using cumulative frequency curves. The final L-IBAI score was obtained by summing the weighted values of the three components mentioned earlier. The L-IBAI can significantly discriminate rural from urban lakes, and is a reliable index for assessing lake ecosystem health. Moreover, we developed three simplified three-index integrated bioassessment indices, which consists of three indices belonging to the three elements are also effective. The developed L-IBAI is flexible to be extended and applied to other floodplain lakes, and outcomes of health assessments for the eastern plain lakes in China helped to identify conservation and restoration priorities.

A systems perspective on national prioritisation of sustainable development goals: Insights from Australia

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires effective national initiatives and resource allocation. Yet, the simultaneous attainment of all goals is hindered by constraints such as limited budgets and resources, varied national priorities, and the intricate nature of the goals. As we approach 2030 and beyond, an urgent need for an effective, data-driven prioritisation system exists to optimise what can be accomplished. A considerable knowledge gap persists in identifying the priority areas that demand concentrated attention and how their improvement would propel overall sustainability goals. To bridge this gap, our study presents a prioritisation approach that identifies significant SDG indicators based on urgency and impact, utilising Benchmarking, Bivariate, and Network analysis. Furthermore, we introduce an innovative Impact Index (IMIN) to assess an indicator’s extensive effect on the SDG network. This system carries significant international relevance by establishing a robust framework to identify key, potent, and interconnected indicators. It supports decision-makers worldwide in comprehending their nation’s SDG performance and promotes efficient resource allocation. In the specific context of Australia, our analysis spotlights several impactful, yet underperforming SDG indicators. These include the protection of Freshwater, Terrestrial, and Mountain Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), the share of renewable energy and energy intensity level of primary energy, targeted research and development, gender equality in national parliaments, and carbon-efficient manufacturing, amongst others.

Deforestation, certification, and transnational palm oil supply chains: Linking Guatemala to global consumer markets

Although causal links between tropical deforestation and palm oil are well established, linking this land use change to where the palm oil is actually consumed remains a distinct challenge and research gap. Supply chains are notoriously difficult to track back to their origin (i.e., the ‘first-mile’). This poses a conundrum for corporations and governments alike as they commit to deforestation-free sourcing and turn to instruments like certification to increase supply chain transparency and sustainability. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) offers the most influential certification system in the sector, but whether it actually reduces deforestation is still unclear. This study used remote sensing and spatial analysis to assess the deforestation (2009–2019) caused by oil palm plantation expansion in Guatemala, a major palm oil source for international consumer markets. Our results reveal that plantations are responsible for 28% of deforestation in the region and that more than 60% of these plantations encroach on Key Biodiversity Areas. RSPO-certified plantations, comprising 63% of the total cultivated area assessed, did not produce a statistically significant reduction in deforestation. Using trade statistics, the study linked this deforestation to the palm oil supply chains of three transnational conglomerates – Pepsico, Mondelēz International, and Grupo Bimbo – all of whom rely on RSPO-certified supplies. Addressing this deforestation and supply chain sustainability challenge hinges on three measures: 1) reform of RSPO policies and practices; 2) robust corporate tracking of supply chains; and 3) strengthening forest governance in Guatemala. This study offers a replicable methodology for a wide-range of investigations that seek to understand the transnational linkages between environmental change (e.g. deforestation) and consumption.

SEASID: Study on Enforcement of Amended Fisheries Law Specific at Verde Island Passage: Input to Improvement and Development of Policy Alternatives

This study was designed to understand the enforcement of amended Fisheries Law Specific at Verde Island Passage(VIP). The study described the situation in the VIP and the efforts to solve the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in VIP Batangas Marine Key Biodiversity Areas (MKBAs) toward formulation of policy alternatives. Data were gathered through interviews among stakeholders. The data went through two-level coding and were further analyzed. The amended Fisheries Law were analyzed by its performance with stakeholders as participants. Results showed that issues on amended Fisheries Law enforcement in VIP MKBAs are associated in the enforcement associated with the use of force; enforcement will always involve conflict; enforcement always involves risk; and enforcement is often costly and complex. In fact, it also reveals that the weak implementation roots from the local governance who is influenced by politics. The two policy alternatives identified were: 1) Pursuance of Policy on Deployment of Permanent Maritime Police Enforcers in the Verde Island Passage Marine Key Biodiversity Areas to report to Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources as the lead enforcer of RA 10654; and 2) Pursuance of Policy on the Establishment of Social Enterprises as Alternative Livelihood for Fisherfolk in the Verde Island Passage Marine Key Biodiversity Areas. Based on the developed criteria levels of risk and uncertainty, the two policy alternatives were evaluated in an aim to solve the continuous increase illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in VIP MKBAs. Between the two alternatives, “Policy on Deployment of Permanent Maritime Police Enforcers in the Verde Island Passage Marine Key Biodiversity Areas to report to Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources as the lead enforcer of RA 10654” generated the greater percentage.

A Decision-Support Tool to Augment Global Mountain Protection and Conservation, including a Case Study from Western Himalaya

Mountains are remarkable storehouses of global biodiversity that provide a broad range of ecosystem services underpinning billions of livelihoods. The world’s network of protected areas includes many iconic mountain landscapes. However, only ca. 19% of mountain areas globally are protected (excluding Antarctica); many mountain areas are inadequately (<30% of their total terrestrial area) or completely unprotected. To support the UN Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Framework goal of protecting at least 30% of the world’s lands by 2030, we have developed a strategic decision-support tool for identifying and prioritizing which candidate mountain areas most urgently require protection. To test its efficacy, we applied the tool to the Western Himalaya Case Study Area (WHCSA). The six-step algorithm harnesses multiple datasets including mountain Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), World Terrestrial Ecosystems, Biodiversity Hotspots, and Red List species and ecosystems. It also makes use of other key attributes including opportunities for disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, developing mountain tourism, maintaining elevational gradients and natural ecological corridors, and conserving flagship species. This method resulted in nine categories of potential action—four categories for follow-up action (ranked by order of importance and priority), and five categories requiring no further immediate action (either because countries are inadequately equipped to respond to protection deficits or because their KBAs are deemed adequately protected). An area-based analysis of the WHCSA identified 33 mountain KBAs regarded as inadequately protected, which included 29 inadequately protected World Mountain Ecosystems. All 33 inadequately protected KBAs in the WHCSA are Category A1: first-priority mountain KBAs (located in the Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot in developing countries), requiring the most urgent attention for protection and conservation. Priorities for action can be fine-filtered by regional teams with sufficient local knowledge and country-specific values to finalize lists of priority mountain areas for protection. This rapid assessment tool ensures a repeatable, unbiased, and scientifically credible method for allocating resources and priorities to safeguard the world’s most biodiverse mountain areas facing myriad threats in the Anthropocene.

Composition and Community Structure of Plant Species in A Secondary Growth Forest in the Central Philippines

Mt. Bandila-an Forest Reserve (MBFR) is among the remaining areas with patches of closed forests in Siquijor. This forest reserve is one of the potential key biodiversity areas in Central Visayas, yet the vegetation is not fully documented. This study was conducted to determine the species composition and diversity of plant species. Eight randomly distributed nested plots, each with a dimension of 20m×100m and subdivided to 5 equal segments of 20m×20m, were established. A total of 188 plant species was recorded from the plots, representing 131 tree species, 23 shrub, 14 vine, 11 herb, and 9 fern species. Common plant families with more than 6 representative species were Moraceae, Rubiaceae, Fabaceae, Araceae, Euphorbiaceae, Meliaceae and Myrtaceae. There were 19 threatened (vulnerable to critically endangered) and 33 endemic species recorded in the forest reserve highlighting the importance to further conserve the area. The cluster analysis and species accumulation curve suggest that plant species are not homogeneously distributed which implies that different management and conservation strategies should be implemented across MBFR. These results not only indicate the importance of MBFR, but also highlight areas with higher diversity and concentration of threatened and endemic species as a special area of concern. J. Biodivers. Conserv. Bioresour. Manag. 2023, 9(1): 13-28

Construction of eco-crossing on traffic roads in areas of preserved nature

With the implementation of the project "Reconstruction and modernization of the main road M-18 Podgorica-Danilovgrad", which was financed by the EBRD, an upgrade and reconstruction of the 15 km long section was carried out. In this project, which included: widening of the road from 2 to 4 lanes, reconstruction of bridges, construction of new roundabouts and installation of water drainage systems, special attention was paid to environmental protection. As the section of the road is located within a key biodiversity area, during the preparation of the project numerous biodiversity studies have been carried out, all in accordance with domestic and international standards in the field of environment. During construction, numerous environmental protection measures were implemented, and one of them is the construction of an eco-crossing for animals that will enable the safe crossing of animals from one side of the road to the other. These are alternative crossings over or under major roads, in areas of preserved nature, which aim to disrupt the way of life of wild animals as little as possible and prevent their extermination, i.e., to contribute to species conservation. In addition to this, fenced openings are left on the dividing island so that the animals have enough natural light. The goal of this report is to show that, with the adaptation of the project solution, the ecological value of the project area was preserved, and that this example of adapting the road to its living space represents a successful campaign in raising environmental awareness.

Cerambyx cerdo and Cerambyx welensii Oak-Living Sympatric Populations Exhibit Species-Specific Responses to Face Ecological Factors in the Wild

Oak open woodlands (dehesas) have outstanding socioeconomic and ecological values, sustain traditional agro-silvo-pastoral uses, provide high-value ecosystem services, and constitute key biodiversity hotspots. Cerambyx cerdo and Cerambyx welensii are two large, oak-living, wood-boring, sympatric longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) that may reach pest status in SW Spain, contributing to oak decline. Understanding species-specific habitat requirements determining occupancy–abundance patterns is needed to develop management or control strategies. We conducted a large-scale, four-year study using 1650 feeding traps to ascertain longhorn abundance and species-specific habitat suitability in relation to 18 ecological variables, 9 biotic (oak species, forest mass, trunk diameter, tree density, basal area, forest cover, shrub cover, ground cover, oak renewal), and 9 abiotic (bedrock outcrops, altitude, ground slope, aspect, mean temperature: annual/July/January, annual precipitation, insolation). Results showed that longhorn abundance was sensitive to most ecological variables and to many interactions between them. Interestingly, interactions between ecological variables and longhorn species were widespread, signifying that responses were species-specific and therefore predictive Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) were different between species. Our research contributes to the understanding of the ecological factors that shape longhorn species-specific occupancy–abundance patterns, delves into their sympatric relationship, and contributes toward improving sustainable forest practices that will mitigate longhorn impact in oak open forests.

Diversity of bat ectoparasites from the caves of selected Key Biodiversity Areas in Central Visayas, Philippines

Abstract. Bejec GA, Bucol LA, Ancog AB, Pagente AC, Paneiro JJM, Bejec ALN, Belanizo JD, Tuastomban DJS, Jose RP. 2023. Diversity of bat ectoparasites from the caves of selected Key Biodiversity Areas in Central Visayas, Philippines. Biodiversitas 24(3): 1693-1703. Bats harbor numerous species of ectoparasites, such as ticks and mites. Many bat ectoparasites are implicated as vectors of pathogens ranging from bacteria to protozoa and viruses. Recent studies verified bats as a natural reservoir of multiple zoonotic viruses, including Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronaviruses. This study assessed the composition, diversity, and prevalence of ectoparasites of cave-dwelling bats in the four Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) of Central Visayas. A total of 20 species of bats were recorded in the 30 surveyed caves. Of these, 30 species of ectoparasites belonging to eight families (dipteran flies Streblidae and Nycteribiidae, mites Spinturnicidae, Macronyssidae and Trombiculidae, ticks Argasidae and Ixodidae, and Ischnopsyllidae fleas) were collected and identified. Leptotrombidium sp. had the highest number of individuals (n=1,684) harbored in 12 bat host species. The highest prevalence (100%) was noted in four bat host species: Philippine pygmy fruit bat Haplonycteris fischeri Lawrence 1939, Philippine forest roundleaf bat Hipposideros obscurus Peters 1861, Philippine pygmy roundleaf batHipposideros pygmaeus Waterhouse 1843, and Common bent-winged bat Miniopterus schreibersii Kuhl 1817. The lowest prevalence was noted in the Round-eared tube-nosed bat Murina cyclotis Dobson 1872, where no ectoparasite was collected. The highest intensity (n=65) of ectoparasites was observed in the Common Asian ghost bat Megaderma spasma Linnaeus 1758. This study provides essential data for future reference in monitoring bat population status and conservation efforts in the region. Given the close relationship between the local human community and bats (e.g., hunting and consumption), more work is needed to address the potential pathogen risks from zoonotic transmission from bats and ectoparasites.

A global assessment of the prevalence of current and potential future infrastructure in Key Biodiversity Areas

Infrastructure development is a major threat to biodiversity, leading to habitat loss and fragmentation, increased accessibility and pollution. Key Biodiversity Areas represent the most comprehensive network of important areas for biodiversity and the prevalence of infrastructure in KBAs has not previously been described. Here we examined the prevalence of current and potential future infrastructure within the global network of 15,150 terrestrial KBAs, using a range of open and commercial spatial datasets related to infrastructure. Current infrastructure types analysed included transport, energy, extractives, urban areas, and dams and reservoirs. At least 80 % of KBAs contain infrastructure, and roads occurred in 75.1 % of KBAs. Potential future development of mines, oil and gas infrastructure and powerplants suggests a significant increase in the number of KBAs that may contain these infrastructure types in the future (e.g. by ~292 % for mines)), disproportionately in countries in the Global South. Further work is needed to determine how different infrastructure types affect the species and ecosystems for which KBAs have been identified. More effective application and wider adoption of safeguards are needed to ensure infrastructure development avoids serious negative impacts on biodiversity.

Identifying socioeconomic and biophysical factors driving forest loss in protected areas.

Protected areas (PAs) are a commonly used strategy to confront forest conversion and biodiversity loss. Although determining drivers of forest loss is central to conservation success, understanding of them is limited by conventional modeling assumptions. We used random forest regression to evaluate potential drivers of deforestation in PAs in Mexico, while accounting for nonlinear relationships and higher order interactions underlying deforestation processes. Socioeconomic drivers (e.g., road density, human population density) and underlying biophysical conditions (e.g., precipitation, distance to water, elevation, slope) were stronger predictors of forest loss than PA characteristics, such as age, type, and management effectiveness. Within PA characteristics, variables reflecting collaborative and equitable management and PA size were the strongest predictors of forest loss, albeit with less explanatory power than socioeconomic and biophysical variables. In contrast to previously used methods, which typically have been based on the assumption of linear relationships, we found that the associations between most predictors and forest loss are nonlinear. Our results can inform decisions on the allocation of PA resources by strengthening management in PAs with the highest risk of deforestation and help preemptively protect key biodiversity areas that may be vulnerable to deforestation in the future.

Inferring functional diversity from environmental DNA metabarcoding

AbstractEnvironmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is a reliable method to assess taxonomic diversity, but the incompleteness of genetic reference databases prevents the assignation of many sequences to a given species. Functional diversity (FD) is a key biodiversity facet to monitor, but it requires the identification of all species within communities to account for their trait values. So, the ability of eDNA‐based inventories to estimate the “true” level of FD is unknown. Here, using fish surveys in two representative temperate and tropical rivers, with a quasi‐exhaustive genetic and trait database, we measured the bias and variability of different FD indices when calculated with uncertainty in taxonomic assignment at the genus and family level. Our results show that when measuring FD indices with species randomly chosen within genera and families, the bias cannot exceed 30% from real observed FD values. The variability is higher for species‐poorer communities and when those communities are composed of genera and families with high functional heterogeneity. Despite taxonomic uncertainty, our results demonstrate the potential of eDNA surveys to estimate reliable FD values.

Theoretical framework, indicator system and practical application of key biodiversity areas.

With the continuous decline of global biodiversity, biodiversity conservation has attracted more and more attention from the international society. In order to slow down the trend of biodiversity decline, it is particularly important to identify key areas for biodiversity conservation. However, most of current methods for identifying important areas have different assessment criteria and focus on different biological assemblages (species or communities) and ecosystem types. Key biodiversity areas (KBAs) are sites that contribute significantly to global biodiversity persistence. Unlike traditional research and identification methods, KBAs identification is based on a unified global standard to explore habitats that are critical to endangered plants and animals in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Based on the theoretical and technical framework of KBAs, we summarized the system of identification criteria and assessment parameters for KBAs. The five high-level criteria are separated into eleven sub-level criteria. Among the eleven evaluation parameters, there is one evaluation parameter for the ecosystem level, eight evaluation parameters for the species level, one evaluation parameter for the gene level, and one comprehensive evaluation parameter. In addition, we analyzed the application of KBAs identification in biodiversity research and conservation combined with relevant domestic and foreign research cases. Furthermore, we discussed the future development direction and application prospect of KBAs identification method in China. This method could provide a new perspective for the formulation of ecological protection policies and the planning of naturally protected areas in China.