Quality Of Natural Habitats Research Articles

Mapping and Identification of Ecosystem Services Hotspots in the Brazilian Pampa Biome.

The intensification and expansion of changes in land use and land cover (LULC) can reduce the availability and quality of natural habitats and ecosystem services (ES). These changes have generated environmental damage in different parts of the world, especially in biomes more susceptible to modifications, such as the Pampa biome in the extreme south of Brazil. The Pampa biome has been neglected by environmental protection laws, despite its broad ecosystem and social importance. In this study, we used InVEST models to map and quantify five ES provided (i.e., water supply, carbon stock, groundwater stock, sediment retention and habitat quality) by 14 watersheds distributed in the Brazilian Pampa biome as well as determine ES hotspots by summing the areas with high provision of ES. We identified low availability of water supply and groundwater stock in practically the entire study area. High sediment retention and carbon stock were reported in areas with the presence of native vegetation. In addition, despite the large degraded areas, we observed high habitat quality associated with native vegetation in all studied watersheds. The hotspots varied spatially in the study area according to the proposed scenarios, the supply and the overlap of ES. Scenario 1 (>50% of ES) presented a larger area of high provision of ES. In contrast, scenario 2 (>75% of ES) presented smaller patches of areas with high provision of ES distributed across different watershed. We observed that large territorial extensions with high and medium provision of ES are vulnerable to the negative effects of LULC. Our study presented scenarios that indicate areas of high provision of ES, contributing to a more practical application, being a simplified and useful tool that can assist conservation and sustainable policies.

Odonata assemblages at two urban wetlands in West Bengal, India

Adult Odonata represent valuable indicators of natural habitat quality, ecosystem integrity, and pollution status in freshwater ecosystems. This study aimed to investigate how varying climatic condition, sub-habitat types, and physicochemical ambience of wetlands impact Odonata diversity. We compared the abundance and richness of Odonata in two urban wetlands and their surrounding areas: Purulia Sahebbandh (PS) located amidst Purulia town and faced higher anthropogenic threats, and Adra Sahebbandh (AS) located in a slightly remote location. Sampling was conducted over a period of one year (December 2018 to November 2019) using the Pollard walk method and direct search technique. A total of 47 Odonata species were recorded, including 33 species of dragonflies (Anisoptera) and 14 species of damselflies (Zygoptera). AS exhibited significant higher overall abundance compared to PS, with the monsoon season showing the highest abundance in both wetlands. Water-associated vegetation zones harbored the highest species richness. Species richness and abundance significantly differed among most of the sub-habitat types. Physicochemical factors such as pH, electrical conductivity, salinity, nitrate and phosphate concentrations, and dissolved oxygen significantly influenced Odonata abundance and species richness. The urban location, pollution load, and lack of natural vegetation in PS’s surrounding areas likely contributed to the lower Odonata abundance. Implementing sustainable management measures for wetlands and their surroundings is crucial to enhancing ecosystem services and supporting Odonata populations.

Promoting sustainable development by mitigation of natural habitat quality decline through multifunctional urban land use: Insights from a multi-scenario simulation

Urban expansion threatens natural habitat quality (NHQ) and hinders the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. Whether and how multifunctional urban land use (MFULU) can mitigate NHQ decline under future urban expansion remains unclear. This study developed a theoretical framework for mitigating NHQ decline via MFULU, and examined the mitigation based on a multi-scenario simulation using the Patch-generating Land use Simulation model and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs model. Three future scenarios, each including MFULU and non-MFULU modes, were considered in the simulation: Business as Usual, Economic Development, and Ecological Priority. Urban expansion led to less encroachment into natural habitats in MFULU modes than in non-MFULU modes. Additionally, natural habitats were less aggregated, and more irregular than in non-MFULU modes under all scenarios, especially those with moderate and higher NHQ levels. Natural habitats were more aggregated and regular in MFULU modes than in non-MFULU modes under all scenarios. These results verified MFULU’s positive contributions in preserving natural habitats under the conservation effect of MFULU and improving the landscape patterns of natural habitats under the agglomeration effect of MFULU. The findings have implications for formulating land-sharing policies that realize win−win situations between sustainable urban development and a resilient ecological environment.

Optimal Ecosystem Change in the Presence of Ecosystem-Mediated Human Health Impacts

A growing body of empirical evidence suggests that land use change, and the resulting decline in both the area and quality of natural habitats, contributes to an increased incidence of disease in humans. Despite calls to leverage conservation policy to address the burden of disease linked to ecosystem change, the potential benefits are unknown. Efficiently reducing the burden of infectious disease through land use policies and conservation initiatives is challenging because it requires balancing trade-offs that depend on ecological and socioeconomic factors. To assess some of these trade-offs, we developed a dynamic model of optimal land use when ecosystem change affects the overall incidence of infectious disease. We compared the net benefits and paths of optimal policy in which the increased cost of disease resulting from natural habitat loss is included in the optimization with a base case where it is ignored. We found that ignoring the linkage between habitat degradation and infectious disease incidence in the planner’s problem reduces the net benefits of land management, such as conservation efforts, and results in significantly higher rates of infection and health costs.

The socio-ecological implications of shifting patterns of cropland use in northeast China

Globally, mid-latitude Mollisol regions are vital breadbasket areas, but their ecosystems are being exhausted by overproduction. Understanding the evolution of agricultural practices and the associated consequences across different socio-ecological contexts is crucial for planning future crop production. Most studies to date have focused mainly on tropical regions, and have concentrated on fixed effects while overlooking spatiotemporal heterogeneity. We present an important case study from northeast China, using shifting patterns of cropland expansion, intensification and specialization from 2000 to 2019 to demonstrate how agricultural practices have evolved and encroached on natural resources. The locational Gini coefficient, revised universal soil loss equation, modified InVEST models, and geographically and temporally weighted regression model were applied to estimate the underlying socio-ecological implications. The results indicated that, cropland expansion (+44.22 %) and specialization were prominent, with grain cultivation increasing to almost 87 % while crop diversity was drastically reduced. Cropland intensification revealed a homogenizing transition, with an increase in machinery power (+97.25 %) and fertilizer (+28.80 %) applications. In the northern Songnen Plain and Sanjiang Plain, alongside expansion, cropland distributions have changed, with the majority of intensification and specialization indicators being pushed to higher latitudes. For example, maize production has driven soybean production to the Lesser Khingan Mountains, and rice has been transferred from the Liaohe Plain to Sanjiang Plain. During 2000–2019, some social indicators, including rural household income, grain production and inequality of agricultural development, improved, but not necessarily in relation to the changes in cropland use. Cropland expansion was beneficial to grain production, but detrimental to spatial equality. Water stress and pollution were identified as major ecological threats as a result of cropland expansion. Carbon sequestration also experienced an expansion-driven increase, but at the expense of crucial local ecosystems with higher carbon densities. Although the overall quality of natural habitats had improved, these habitats were threatened by most of the changes witnessed on the plains. Soil loss was sensitive to expansion in hilly reclaimed areas, but in Songnen Plain and Liaohe Plain, where conservation tillage has been promoted, intensification and specialization pressures were mitigated. A northwards shift of cropland distribution is currently a primary driver of the intensifying socio-ecological implications, representing the ongoing adaption of farming in marginal areas. The intensification and specialization of agricultural practices in Mollisol regions should be the focus for addressing the necessary future reconciliation of agriculture and nature.

Relocating built-up land for biodiversity conservation in an uncertain future

Land use changes associated with habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation exert profoundly detrimental impacts on biodiversity conservation. Urban development is one of the prevailing anthropogenic disturbances to wildlife habitat, because these developments are often considered permanent and irreversible. As a result, the potential benefits of built-up land relocation for biodiversity conservation have remained largely unexplored in environmental management practices. Here, we analyze recent built-up land relocation in Shanghai and explore how such restoration programs can affect future land change trajectories with regards to biodiversity conservation. Results show that 187.78 km2 built-up land in Shanghai was restored to natural habitat between 2017 and 2020. Further simulation analysis highlights that relocating built-up land can substantially promote conserve biodiversity. In particular, there would be less habitat loss, better natural habitat quality and more species habitat-suitable range under the scenarios with built-up land relocation. Species extinction assessment suggest that amphibians, mammals, and reptiles will all have an increasingly high extinction risk without built-up land relocation. However, there will even be a marginal decrease in extinction risk over time for mammals and reptiles if the relocation of built-up land is permitted, but still a moderate increase in extinction risk for amphibians. This study highlights the importance of incorporating rigorous conservation planning prior to development activities, thereby underpinning a sustainable approach to environmental management.

Assessment of Habitat Risks Caused by Human Activities and Integrated Approach to Marine Spatial Planning: The Case of Sriracha District—Sichang Island

According to the Thailand’s National Strategy (2017-2036) and National Reform Plans, various tools, techniques, or methods are necessary to collect and investigate data for the effective preservation and protection of the country’s natural resources. We aimed to apply various tools and methods for integrated coastal management in Thailand. This study used the InVEST models, including the habitat quality (HQ) and habitat risk assessment (HRA) models, to evaluate the natural habitat quality and cumulative human activity risk in the Sriracha district and Sichang Islands, Thailand. The HQ model revealed the presence of abundant ecological services and high quality natural habitats. We observed habitat degradation in the mooring zone, city area, forests, and coral reefs, with moderate risk to distinct habitats. Our findings identified two potential scenarios. Conservation scenarios exhibited a lower HRA ratio compared to current and development scenarios. Overall, the results showed the effectiveness of the InVEST model in evaluating habitat risk under both present and simulated conditions. Our study highlights the importance of informed management plans and policy-making processes to achieve planned coastal management goals.

Assessing the impacts of historical and future land-use/cover change on habitat quality in the urbanizing Lhasa River Basin on the Tibetan Plateau

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is a hotspot for biodiversity conservation in the world. Understanding the impacts of land-use/cover change (LUCC) on natural habitat quality (NHQ) in terms of both historical and future urbanization and ecological restoration is important, but existing studies have only focused on the total impacts of historical LUCC on NHQ on the TP. This study aims to assess both historical and future impacts by taking the Lhasa River Basin (LRB) as an example. We quantified the LUCC from 2000 to 2020 based on remote sensing data, and simulated the LUCC during 2020–2030 under the scenarios of business-as-usual (BAU) and cropland conservation. Finally, we used the habitat quality model to assess the impacts of LUCC on NHQ. We found that the improved NHQ due to ecological restoration exceeded the deteriorated NHQ due to urban expansion, resulting in the total NHQ showing an increasing trend in the LRB during 2000–2020. Under the BAU scenario, NHQ was projected to remain stable. However, under the cropland protection scenario, NHQ was projected to deteriorate due to the large-scale occupation of natural habitats by urban expansion, which will be prominent in Chengguan District (NHQ will decrease by 22.52%). To protect both cropland and natural habitats, limiting urban sprawl and implementing ecological protection and restoration are needed.

Impacts of different levels of urban expansion on habitats at the regional scale and their critical distance thresholds

With the rapid development of urbanization, natural habitats in many parts of the world have been seriously damaged by urban expansion. However, urban expansion is a complex process, and the impacts of different levels of urban expansion on habitats at regional scales and their distance thresholds are still unclear. We conducted a study in Hubei Province, China to evaluate the impacts of the expansion of prefecture-level cities and county towns on the quantity, area, and quality of natural habitats and the critical threshold distances affecting habitats. The results show that, at a regional scale, habitat degradation was driven primarily by the expansion of large numbers of county towns, but the expansion of prefecture-level cities affected habitat degradation over greater distances. Specifically, the impact of county town expansion on habitat first increased and then decreased with greater distance from built-up areas, the threshold distances for habitat quantity and quality being approximately 8 km and 80 km, respectively. The impact of expanding prefecture-level cities on habitat showed a similar nonlinear change with greater distance, but the distance thresholds for habitat quantity and quality rose to approximately 40 km and 130 km, respectively. These findings not only reverse the conventional view that the expansion of large cities dominates habitat degradation, but also draws more attention to the influence of the expansion of numerous small county and towns on habitat, when measured at the regional scale. Understanding the distance threshold of particular spatial impacts can be help to inform spatial decision-making with regards to habitat conservation.

Urban Avian Conservation Planning Using Species Functional Traits and Habitat Suitability Mapping

Urbanization adversely impacts biodiversity by reducing the quantity and quality of natural habitat areas. Additionally, the quality of natural habitat depends on its bio-physical characteristics (e.g., natural cover, impervious surfaces, urban tree canopy) as well as the functional traits of species inhabiting them (e.g., breeding/foraging habitat requirements). To better plan conservation of regional biodiversity in urbanized landscapes, it is therefore critical to assess the relationship between the landscape and the response of key Functional Trait Groups (FTGs) of species. To identify different FTGs of 116 avian species in the urbanized landscape of the Toronto region (Canada), we conducted a Functional Trait Analysis (FTA) using RLQ-fourth corner analysis. We focused on four species traits (diet, foraging, nesting, and territoriality) to identify the FTGs and their association with natural cover and landscape characteristics (landcover types, patch quality, habitat connectivity). Then, to predict FTG presence in relation to the landscape characteristics, we performed a Habitat Suitability Analysis (HSA). From this analysis, we found 21 avian FTGs with different habitat suitability values that correspond to forested patches and wetlands. The HSA for tree canopy, forest insectivore, and ground-nesting birds (or FTGs) have higher suitability values within forest patches, while aerial insectivores have higher suitability values in older residential neighborhoods indicating the value of the urban tree canopy. This methodological approach shows that by mapping habitat suitability by FTG one can identify strategic conservation areas that target multiple species, shifting efforts from a single species to a community-based functional focus. Our study highlights the conservation value of remnant and/or restored habitat patches in near urban and urban landscapes that help to maximize the persistence of regional avian biodiversity.

Landscape change effects on habitat quality in a forest biosphere reserve: Implications for the conservation of native habitats

Anthropogenic pressures have caused spatial and temporal patterns of Land-Use Land Cover (LULC) change. The LULC change has a significant influence on the quality of natural habitat and ecosystem functions. The study assessed and modeled the habitat quality of the Kaffa biosphere reserve using the “Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs” (InVEST) model. The InVEST model helps to evaluate the impacts of landscape changes on the quality of habitats in combination with habitat-threatening factors. The mean values of the habitat quality indices in 1986, 1999, 2009, and 2019 were 0.80, 0.77, 0.67, and 0.65, respectively. Furthermore, the habitat quality for the years 2034 and 2049 would decrease continuously to 0.61 and 0.60, respectively. Settlement and agricultural areas have a lower habitat quality index compared to the other native habitats. This confirms the expansion of human-modified landscapes such as settlement and agricultural lands in the biosphere reserve, which, in turn, caused degrading the habitat quality of the biosphere reserve. The spatial metrics of patch number, patch density, the largest patch index, and the area mean index showed the prevalence of forest fragmentation. This, in turn, has worsened the overall habitat quality of the biosphere reserve. In addition, the result of the binary logistic regression indicated that the expansion of settlement areas in the biosphere reserve was a significant influencing factor on the habitat quality. Overall, the study results confirmed that the biosphere reserve has both spatial and temporal variability of habitat quality. Therefore, evaluating and predicting the spatiotemporal status of habitat quality under the influence of LULC change can offer a scientific basis for developing strategies for biodiversity conservation and landscape planning.

Which impacts more seriously on natural habitat loss and degradation? Cropland expansion or urban expansion?

AbstractNatural habitat plays an important role in maintaining biodiversity. Both cropland expansion and urban expansion have an influence on natural habitat. However, it is not clear which one impacts more seriously on both the quantity and quality of natural habitat. This study compared the impacts of cropland expansion on the quantity and quality of natural habitat in China between 2000 and 2015 with the impacts of urban expansion. Map algebra in ArcGIS 10.6 was used to calculate the changes in the quantity of natural habitat, while the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade‐offs (InVEST) Habitat Quality model was used to assess the changes in its quality. The results indicated that cropland expansion led to a loss of 35,811 km2 of natural habitat, which was twelve‐times as much as that from urban expansion. Furthermore, the area of the heaviest habitat degradation due to cropland expansion was 9,530 km2, which was eight‐times as much as that due to urban expansion. Noticeably, the greatest impacts of cropland expansion on natural habitat mostly occurred in areas where the ecological environment is already vulnerable (namely, the resistance and resilience of ecosystems in response to external interference are weak), whereas the impacts of urban expansion were much less in these areas. This study highlights that the impacts of cropland expansion on both the natural habitat loss and degradation far exceeded the impacts of urban expansion. It is necessary to improve cropland protection policies to guarantee food security while ensuring little or no harm to natural habitat.

Avian diversity in geothermal power plant areas: Case studies in Kamojang, Darajat, and Gunung Salak, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract. Husodo T, Mochtan KP, Shanida SS, Aminuddin SF, Wulandari I, Putra IS, Megantara EN. 2020. Avian diversity in geothermal power plant areas: Case studies in Kamojang, Darajat, and Gunung Salak, West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 1049-1059. Land cover changes that occur in the development of industrial areas have impact on the quality of biophysical and socio-economic environments. This study aimed to investigate the diversity of birds (avifauna) in three geothermal power plant areas in West Jawa Province, Indonesia (i.e., Kamojang, Darajat, and Gunung Salak). Transect and spotlighting methods were conducted in this study. We found that areas around geothermal power plant in Gunung Salak had the highest diversity of bird species with 105 species from 43 families, followed by Kamojang with 82 species from 34 families, and Darajat with 80 species from 40 families. In total, there were 134 species from 51 families in which two species are Endangered (EN) under the IUCN Red List category, five are endemic to Java, 11 are protected by CITES Appendix II and 14 are protected by national regulations. The presence of some birds was an indicator of ecosystem condition and functioning, including indicator of food chain, quality of water, quality of natural habitat, condition of riparian habitat, and the condition of open or disturbed habitat. Some birds were also associated with particular habitats, such as natural forests, riparians, a combination of natural forests and open habitats, tea plantations, and craters. The results of this study can be used as baseline information about the state of the surrounding environment in the three geothermal power plant areas and as a reference in biodiversity management in the future.

Evaluating the effects of urban expansion on natural habitat quality by coupling localized shared socioeconomic pathways and the land use scenario dynamics-urban model

• Localized SSPs were used to assess the effects of urban expansion on NHQ. • Localized SSPs can better describe the actual situation of socioeconomic development. • The effects of future urban expansion on NHQ can be simulated more effectively. • The error of simulated results was reduced by about 50%. • This approach will provide more reliable guidance for improving sustainability. Effectively evaluating the effects of future urban expansion on natural habitat quality (NHQ) is critical for improving the sustainability of regional and even global cities. However, because of the difficulties in simulating spatiotemporal distribution of future urban expansion and the uncertainties in future socioeconomic development, effectively evaluating the effects of future urban expansion on NHQ is still challenging. Using the Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos-Yulin (HBOY) urban agglomeration in China as an example, this study simulated future urban expansion and evaluated its effects on NHQ. We first quantified the NHQ spatial patterns in HBOY using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model. Second, we simulated urban expansion in HBOY from 2017 to 2050 by coupling localized Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and the Land Use Scenario Dynamics-urban (LUSD-urban) model. Finally, we evaluated the effects of future urban expansion on NHQ by calculating the degradation rate of NHQ in the entire region and in different types of cities. We found that coupling localized SSPs and the LUSD-urban model can effectively evaluate the effects of future urban expansion on NHQ. Compared with coupling original SSPs and the LUSD-urban model, in HBOY case study, our method reduced the absolute of the evaluation error from 5.17 to 11.43% to 2.86–5.17%. The results showed that under all localized SSPs, the urban expansion from 2017 to 2050 in large cities will lead to the most obvious decrease in regional NHQ of 4.85–7.32%, while that in medium cities and small cities will be 1.23–2.37% and 0.19–0.35%, respectively. Therefore, we suggest that SSPs should be localized when used to simulate the effects of future urban expansion on NHQ. In addition, in order to achieve the sustainable development goals, the HBOY urban agglomeration should control the urban size and optimize the urban spatial pattern, especially for large cities, in the future to reduce the impacts of urban expansion on NHQ.

Influence of Anthropogenic Noise for Predicting Cinereous Vulture Nest Distribution

Natural landscapes are increasingly under anthropogenic pressures, and concern about human impacts on wildlife populations is becoming particularly relevant in the case of natural areas affected by roads. The expansion of road networks is considered among the main factors threatening biodiversity due to their potential for disturbing natural ecosystems on large scales. Indeed, traffic noise pollution reduces the quantity and the quality of natural habitats, and umbrella species are frequently used as indicators of natural ecosystem health. In this sense, there is a variety of GIS-based ecological modeling tools that allow evaluation of the factors that influence species distributions in order to accurately predict habitat selection. In this study, we have combined the use of noise modeling tools and maximum entropy modeling (MaxEnt) to evaluate the relative importance of environmental variables for Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) nesting habitat selection within a mountainous forest in Spain. As a result, we found that spatial negative influence of roads on wildlife due to road traffic disturbance may have been traditionally overestimated when it has been inferred from distance measurements of wildlife behavior in road surroundings instead of from considering road traffic noise level exposure. In addition, we found a potential risk threshold for cinereous vulture breeding around roads, which ties in with a Leq24h level of 40 dB(A). This may be a useful indicator for assessing the potential impact of human activities on an umbrella species such as, for instance, the cinereous vulture, whose breeding does not take place where road traffic Leq24h levels are higher than 40 dB(A).

Project Based Learning as Teaching Approach for Master Students

Human resources experts consider important for a young graduate to be well trained in the field of expertise and to have developed skills like problem-solving, communication, collaboration, responsibility, and self-direction. Project Based Learning (PBL) concord with the requests of the legal framework and studies showed that the method was successful in achieving them. In order to be efficient, PBL needs to respect a list of requirements, one of them being the realism of the themes. The paper presents the results of two projects which used the environmental protection issues as real-world context supported by interactive computer simulations. Subjects approached in two projects assessed the current state of quality of natural habitat and investigated the effect of building placement and orientation on the dispersion of traffic air pollutants. PBL was successfully used to effectively shape the learning environment for master students from a designated Applied Engineering program.

Brook trout distributional response to unconventional oil and gas development: Landscape context matters

We conducted a large-scale assessment of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) development effects on brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) distribution. We compiled 2231 brook trout collection records from the Upper Susquehanna River Watershed, USA. We used boosted regression tree (BRT) analysis to predict occurrence probability at the 1:24,000 stream-segment scale as a function of natural and anthropogenic landscape and climatic attributes. We then evaluated the importance of landscape context (i.e., pre-existing natural habitat quality and anthropogenic degradation) in modulating the effects of UOG on brook trout distribution under UOG development scenarios. BRT made use of 5 anthropogenic (28% relative influence) and 7 natural (72% relative influence) variables to model occurrence with a high degree of accuracy [Area Under the Receiver Operating Curve (AUC)=0.85 and cross-validated AUC=0.81]. UOG development impacted 11% (n=2784) of streams and resulted in a loss of predicted occurrence in 126 (4%). Most streams impacted by UOG had unsuitable underlying natural habitat quality (n=1220; 44%). Brook trout were predicted to be absent from an additional 26% (n=733) of streams due to pre-existing non-UOG land uses (i.e., agriculture, residential and commercial development, or historic mining). Streams with a predicted and observed (via existing pre- and post-disturbance fish sampling records) loss of occurrence due to UOG tended to have intermediate natural habitat quality and/or intermediate levels of non-UOG stress. Simulated development of permitted but undeveloped UOG wells (n=943) resulted in a loss of predicted occurrence in 27 additional streams. Loss of occurrence was strongly dependent upon landscape context, suggesting effects of current and future UOG development are likely most relevant in streams near the probability threshold due to pre-existing habitat degradation.

Carbon stocks and biodiversity conservation on a small island: Pico (the Azores, Portugal)

The loss of carbon storage and sequestration capacity has been increasingly assessed and analyzed worldwide as among the factors causing or amplifying climate change. Solutions that contribute to decreasing the release of carbon and increasing its sequestration, without compromising currently threatened ecosystems, are required, especially for small territories. This study focuses on the strategies to increase the resilience of small islands to these losses, including spatial management to prevent and adapt to climate change while preserving biodiversity. Changes in carbon storage on Pico Island (Azores, Portugal) between 1998 and 2013 were assessed using the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) Carbon Storage and Sequestration model. Changes in carbon stocks caused by changes in land use during this period, and the stocks’ relationships with protected areas and the quality of natural habitats on Pico Island, were analyzed. Bogs and Azorean endemic Macaronesian heaths store more carbon per ha. Alien species are invading natural areas, and their carbon values need to be carefully addressed. Results, however, indicated that simultaneously increasing carbon stocks (economical value) and protecting biodiversity (environmental value) is possible by adapted and discussed management actions. This study supports the strategies that promote the potential of the conservation of biodiversity for mitigating climate change. The proposed management guidelines can be applied to other Macaronesian islands and, with local adaptations, to other outermost regions.

Urbanisation at multiple scales is associated with larger size and higher fecundity of an orb-weaving spider.

Urbanisation modifies landscapes at multiple scales, impacting the local climate and changing the extent and quality of natural habitats. These habitat modifications significantly alter species distributions and can result in increased abundance of select species which are able to exploit novel ecosystems. We examined the effect of urbanisation at local and landscape scales on the body size, lipid reserves and ovary weight of Nephila plumipes, an orb weaving spider commonly found in both urban and natural landscapes. Habitat variables at landscape, local and microhabitat scales were integrated to create a series of indexes that quantified the degree of urbanisation at each site. Spider size was negatively associated with vegetation cover at a landscape scale, and positively associated with hard surfaces and anthropogenic disturbance on a local and microhabitat scale. Ovary weight increased in higher socioeconomic areas and was positively associated with hard surfaces and leaf litter at a local scale. The larger size and increased reproductive capacity of N.plumipes in urban areas show that some species benefit from the habitat changes associated with urbanisation. Our results also highlight the importance of incorporating environmental variables from multiple scales when quantifying species responses to landscape modification.

Can intensive agricultural landscapes favour some raptor species? The Marsh harrier in north‐eastern Spain

AbstractAgricultural intensification over the last 60 decades has been linked to decreases in biodiversity and in the breeding populations of several avian species in farmlands. However, agricultural intensification has not affected all species in the same way and transformed landscapes can still provide suitable habitats for species tolerant to some degree of anthropogenic change. Understanding habitat selection in man‐made landscapes is a pre‐requisite to effective management and conservation of the species that use them. However, habitat‐related choices made by individuals occupying these landscapes are often difficult to explain, as the cues they use may be decoupled from the ecological context in which they evolved. Here, we investigated nesting habitat selection in a ground‐nesting raptor breeding mainly in wetlands, which, unlike many other species occupying farmlands, has experienced a population increase in some agricultural regions. We used multivariate analysis to assess the extent to which habitat characteristics, human disturbance or proximity to other occupied sites influenced nesting‐site occupancy. Our results indicate that Marsh harriers occupied breeding sites according to habitat cues obtained at two complementary spatial scales (i.e. the breeding site and the foraging area). This study indicates that a raptor species that uses human‐made structures such as ponds for breeding while exploiting their surrounding crops for hunting can take advantage of agricultural intensification. Environmental disturbances are often viewed only in terms of their harmful impacts on the affected species. However, human activities are causing many types of alterations in natural landscapes that can be exploited by certain species with positive responses towards these transformations. The adaptation of some raptors to human‐altered environments, such as the Marsh harrier in our study area, raises doubts regarding the appropriateness of using such species as indicators of natural habitat quality.