Priority Areas For Biodiversity Conservation Research Articles

Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from two priority areas for biodiversity conservation in the Brazilian Amazon and range extension for Carollia benkeithi (Phyllostomidae)

Abstract Amazonian tropical forests host the highest bat diversity in South America. The central area Brazilian Amazon encompasses one of the largest pristine areas within this biome, where Amanã and Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserves (SDRs) are located. These two reserves hold the status of Priority Areas for Biodiversity Conservation due to their high biological relevance. The aim of this study was to identify the bat species richness within these SDRs to minimize the Wallacean shortfall of the chiropterofauna in the Amazon. A total of 274 specimens, collected 20 years ago and housed in the mammal collection at the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, were sorted and identified. They are distributed across four families, 18 genera, and 26 species: Artibeus planirostris and Carollia perspicillata were the most abundant vouchers. We identified a range extension for Carollia benkeithi and a possible new taxon for the genus Micronycteris.

Empirical assessments of small-scale ecosystem service flows in rural mosaic landscapes in the Ethiopian highlands

Human activities have rapidly altered natural ecosystems worldwide, resulting in fragmented ecosystems that are either culturally or formally protected. These ecosystem patches can be critical for ecosystem services (ES) that support human well-being. In the Ethiopian highlands, the remaining church forests and wetlands have a unique conservation status and are part of the global priority areas for biodiversity conservation. ES flows from these ecosystems to surrounding benefiting areas lack local-scale field evidence data and are not well-understood. Here, we empirically quantify the distance-dependent flows for four ES: grass biomass, microclimate regulation, crop pollination, and soil erosion retention since they exhibit considerable variation in spatial scales and processes of ES flows. The effect of spatial distance on each ES benefit flow was analysed using spatially explicit empirical models. The key findings are as follows: (1) The benefit of ES varies significantly with distance to the source ecosystems. (2) ES supply is determined by the extent (fragmentation) and condition of ecosystems, together with ecosystem type. (3) The quantity and number of ES provided decreases with distance from the source, and beneficiaries up to 3 km of the source only receive one type of ES (grass biomass). Approximately 80 % of the benefiting areas are within a radius of 200 m from forests and wetlands. Bundles of multiple ES types are received at the frontiers of service-providing ecosystems, where number of benefits are compared at particular locations from the source point. The investigated ecosystems (440 km2) provided benefits to 8,770 km2 for the four types of ES. Our findings imply that non-linear effects of key ecosystem variables need to be considered when mapping the distance-dependent ES flows. This study helps to understand the spatial connectivity between ecosystems and beneficiaries in the human-nature interdependency, which is useful for developing different strategies for ES conservation.

Conserving diversity, distinctiveness and connectivity in the Sunshine Coast heathlands, Queensland, Australia

AbstractAustralia is committed to global area‐based conservation targets whilst ensuring its National Reserve system is representative of ecosystem types. However, concern remains for the increasing habitat loss and fragmentation, and the possible impacts of loss of connectivity between remnant vegetation. This study uses a range of diversity metrics to examine the biodiversity conservation status of the Sunshine Coast heathlands, in the South Eastern Queensland bioregion. The pre‐clearing and remnant extent, and the protection status of the nine heath Regional Ecosystems were calculated. Fragmentation and connectivity were examined by comparing heath patch sizes, and by calculating the distance between patches, from pre‐clearing estimates, until 2019. Diversity metrics for the Regional Ecosystems, including phylogenetic metrics, were tested for correlation with habitat extent, patch size, patch number and distance between patches. Of the pre‐clearing extent, 62% of Sunshine Coast heathlands remain and 46% is protected in National Parks. Levels of protection in National Parks vary across the Local Government Areas, and between Regional Ecosystems, and the priority Regional Ecosystems for further protection were identified. There has been habitat loss resulting in reduced patch sizes, and fragmentation due to urbanization, but the number of patches of heath remains intact, and connectivity in terms of distance between patches remains stable. Phylogenetic dispersion, but not diversity, was correlated with the extent of heath and the number of patches. This highlights the opportunity to maintain biodiversity in these heathlands, with the value of small patches of heath identified as key to maintaining connectivity in the coastal lowlands, distinctiveness in the montane heaths and dunes, and overall phylogenetic dispersion. This study has shown how a variety of diversity metrics and landscape analyses can inform on priority areas for biodiversity conservation in the heathlands of an increasingly urbanized region.

An analysis on the spatial heterogeneity characteristics of landscape ecological risk in Qilian Mountain National Park

As a key ecological function area and a priority area for biodiversity conservation in China, Qilian Mountain National Park is facing a severe test of its ecological environment, and the study of its landscape ecological risk is of great significance to the construction and high-quality development of the Qilian Mountain National Park. In this research, based on land use data from six periods (i.e., year in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020) in the Qilian Mountain National Park, we divided the ecological risk plots, calculated the landscape pattern, and constructed the landscape ecological risk index to deeply explore the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of landscape ecological risk in Qilian Mountain National Park by using ArcGIS, Fragstats and GeoDa. The results showed that: Grassland is the predominant land use type, the area covered by woodland and grassland have exhibited a significant increase since 1995. Landscape fragmentation and disturbance indices exhibit fluctuations across different years, but showed an overall decreasing trend, and landscape stability was improved in the study area. There were obvious differences in the disturbance indices of different landscape types, with grassland and bare land having the highest values. Ecological risk in the study area is heterogeneous, with an overall low ecological risk and a shift to a lower risk level, and a decreasing trend in ecological risk, which is positively correlated spatially and mainly manifested as a “low-low” aggregation. Global warming and unreasonable human activities have exacerbated the ecological degradation of Qilian Mountain National Park, but a series of ecological restoration strategies after the establishment of the national park have gradually improved the regional ecological environment.

Defining priority areas for conservation based on multispecies functional connectivity

Habitat fragmentation poses a significant challenge to biodiversity conservation. Well-designed ecological corridors can effectively enhance connectivity between habitat areas, particularly within Protected Areas (PAs), thereby mitigating biodiversity loss. Herein, we proposed a methodological approach for identifying Priority Areas for Conservation (PACs) of biodiversity based on functional connectivity for different species of birds and terrestrial mammals. We applied the proposed methodology in a biodiverse region in Brazil that harbors a mosaic of PAs and remaining areas of natural vegetation under anthropogenic pressure, primarily from mineral extraction activities. We used ecological corridor simulations as input data and a set of geographic information systems tools to delineate the priority areas. In total, we identified 24 priority areas for the conservation of 10 bird and 5 mammal species under different extinction threat levels and preferential habitat types, which varied among seasonal semideciduous forests, savannas, and rupestrian grasslands. The sizes of the priority areas identified ranged from 834.42 to 7954.36 ha. The proposed methodology can be applied to define priority areas for biodiversity conservation at a regional scale for different species or groups of species worldwide.

Potentilla parvifolia strongly influenced soil microbial community and environmental effect along an altitudinal gradient in central Qilian Mountains in western China.

The Qilian Mountains (QLMs) form an important ecological security barrier in western China and a priority area for biodiversity conservation. Potentilla parvifolia is a widespread species in the mid-high altitudes of the QLMs and has continuously migrated to higher altitudes in recent years. Understanding the effects of P. parvifolia on microbial community characteristics is important for exploring future changes in soil biogeochemical processes in the QLMs. This study found that P. parvifolia has profound effects on the community structure and ecological functions of soil microorganisms. The stability and complexity of the root zone microbial co-occurrence network were significantly higher than those of bare soils. There was a distinct altitudinal gradient in the effect of P. parvifolia on soil microbial community characteristics. At an elevation of 3204 m, P. parvifolia promoted the accumulation of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus and increased sucrase activity and soil C/N while significantly improving the community richness index of fungi (p < .05) compared with that of bacteria and the relative abundance of Ascomycota. The alpha diversity of fungi in the root zone soil of P. parvifolia was also significantly increased at 3550 m altitude. Furthermore, the community similarity distance matrix of fungi showed an evident separation at 3204 m. However, at an altitude of 3750 m, P. parvifolia mainly affected the bacterial community. Potentilla parvifolia increased the bacterial community richness. This is in agreement with the findings based on the functional prediction that P. parvifolia favors the growth and enrichment of denitrifying communities at 3550 and 3750 m. The results provide a scientific basis for predicting the evolutionary trends of the effects of P. parvifolia on soil microbial communities and functions and have important implications for ecological governance in the QLMs.

Balancing food production with climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation in the Brazilian Amazon

Climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation are two major environmental actions that need to be effectively performed this century, alongside ensuring food supply for a growing global human population. These three issues are highly interlinked through land management systems. Thus, major global food production regions located in biodiversity hotpots and with potential for carbon sequestration face trade-offs between these valuable land-based ecosystem services. The state of Mato Grosso in Brazil is one such region, where private lands that have been illegally used for agriculture could be restored to natural vegetation – with potential benefits for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation, although with potentially negative effects on food production. To address this challenge, in this study we used a multicriteria nexus modeling approach that considers carbon stocks, priority areas for biodiversity conservation, and the opportunity for food production, to develop scenarios of land allocation that aim to balance the benefits and drawbacks of ecosystem restoration. Results show that forcing landowners to restore their individual lands compromises the potential for a “green land market” throughout the Amazon biome in which private landowners with lower food production capacities (e.g., less connected to markets and infrastructure) would benefit from restoration programs that compensate them for the inclusion of environmental restoration among their economic activities, instead of taking large economic risks to produce more food. We additionally highlight that strategic ecosystem restoration can achieve higher gains in biodiversity and carbon with lower costs of restoration actions and with minimal impacts on agriculture. Analyses like ours demonstrate how scenarios of land allocation that simultaneously address climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation through ecosystem restoration, while also minimizing possible impacts on food production, can be sought to move the world towards a sustainable future.

Beetle mania: Understanding pond aquatic beetles diversity patterns through a multiple-facet approach

Ecological studies searching for drivers of biodiversity variation have frequently focused on taxonomic richness. However, more aspects of biodiversity, namely diversity facets can be considered to properly assess biotic-environment relationships. Here, we explore the environmental factors that could control the four biodiversity facets of aquatic Coleoptera from 93 regionally sampled Patagonian ponds. We also explore which are the ponds with high diversity values of all facets to prioritize them with a high conservation value. We fitted generalized additive models (GAM) to test relationships among environment (i.e., local and climatic variables) and aquatic beetles diversity facets (i.e., richness (SD), functional diversity (FD), phylogenetic diversity (PD), and local contribution to local beta diversity (LCBD). Climatic drivers were the most important predictors of beetle diversity facets, which exhibited linear and nonlinear responses. Thus, ponds from warmer Patagonia exhibited the highest values of SD and PD, whereas LCBD also peaked on colder sites suggesting that ponds under extreme temperatures sustain unique beetle assemblages. Moreover, ponds located in areas with higher precipitation variability exhibit the highest values of LCBD (i.e., unique assemblages). This result in addition to arid conditions in Patagonia prevailing since 16 m.y.a made us think that Patagonian beetle pond-dwellers are basally adapted to aridity. We calculated an index that summarizes the four facets patterns, to assign high conservation value to those ponds with higher index values. The relative importance of each facet varies from pond to pond. Hence, this multifaceteded approach not only allows us to identify priority areas for biodiversity conservation but also focuses on the importance of including multiple facets to understand biodiversity spatial patterns.

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.

Conservation of Chinese Theaceae species under future climate and land use changes

AbstractAimClimate and land use changes are two major pervasive and growing global causes of rapid changes in the distribution patterns of biodiversity, challenging the future effectiveness of protected areas (PAs), which were mainly designed based on a static view of biodiversity. Therefore, evaluating the effectiveness of protected areas for protecting the species threatened by climate and land use change is critical for future biodiversity conservation.LocationChina.MethodsHere, using distributions of 200 Chinese Theaceae species and ensemble species distribution models, we identified species threatened by future climate and land use change (i.e. species with predicted loss of suitable habitat ≥30%) under scenarios incorporating climate change, land use change and dispersal. We then estimate the richness distribution patterns of threatened species and identify priority conservation areas and conservation gaps of the current PA network.ResultsOur results suggest that 36.30%–51.85% of Theaceae species will be threatened by future climate and land use conditions and that although the threatened species are mainly distributed at low latitudes in China under both current and future periods, the mean richness of the threatened species per grid cell will decline by 0.826–3.188 species by the 2070s. Moreover, we found that these priority conservation areas are highly fragmented and that the current PA network only covers 14.21%–20.87% of the ‘areas worth exploring’ and 6.91%–7.91% of the ‘areas worth attention’.Main ConclusionsOur findings highlight the necessity of establishing new protected areas and ecological corridors in priority conservation areas to protect the threatened species. Moreover, our findings also highlight the importance of taking into consideration the potential threatened species under future climate and land use conditions when designating priority areas for biodiversity conservation.

Threatened Habitats of Carnivores: Identifying Conservation Areas in Michoacán, México

The present study contributes to bridging the gap in research related to the presence and distribution patterns of carnivore mammals in western México and identifies priority areas for biodiversity conservation in western Michoacán, México. The distribution of 11 carnivore species (Canis latrans; Urocyon cinereoargenteus; Herpailurus yagouaroundi; Leopardus pardalis; Leopardus wiedii; Puma concolor; Panthera onca; Conepatus leuconotus; Bassariscus astutus; Nasua narica; Procyon lotor) in western México was modeled through the application of a two-scale approach, including a large modeled region that corresponded to the western part of the country, for which consensus models were obtained that represent the species’ bioclimatic envelopes (historic occurrence records); and the second modeled study area that includes only the western portion of the state of Michoacán in which compounded models of the species’ habitat suitability (field occurrence records) for this region were proposed. Using species’ habitat suitability models as biodiversity units, prioritization exercises were carried out on important areas for the conservation of these species, as well as the comparison and analysis of the existing natural protected areas (NPA) and existing proposed conservation areas in the study area. The different exercises for prioritizing areas for conservation yielded similar results and show the potential percentages of the landscape that can be subjected to conservation programs. The highest conservation priority values were mainly located in the Costas del Sur and Cordillera del Sur provinces. This study signifies a flexible basis from which future studies on planning and designing a network of natural protected areas can be carried out in this region.

Defining priorities areas for biodiversity conservation and trading forest certificates in the Cerrado biome in Brazil

Habitat loss and natural vegetation fragmentation are significant causes of global biodiversity decline, impacting plant and animal species negatively. This issue is worrisome in the private areas of Cerrado in Brazil, which is the second-largest biome, considered a hotspot for biodiversity conservation, and a provider of ecosystem services. Herein, we present a novel integrated approach to define priority areas for biodiversity conservation and environmental compensation in Cerrado, using multicriteria analysis. Our approach combines variables like deforestation projection, integral index of connectivity, threatened species occurrence, and environmental information of rural properties, ranking the importance of remaining native vegetation for biodiversity conservation and forest certificate issuance. Landscape metrics were used to observe and predict land use and land cover changes from 1988 to 2038. We found a loss of native vegetation in the Cerrado superior to 20% between 1988 and 2018, associated with increased of its fragmentation and its connectivity loss, especially after 2008. Natural cover was replaced mostly by pasture and more recently by agriculture. Moreover, we determined that is expected a loss of native vegetation of around 55% by 2038 in the study area. The proposed approach can predict the consequences of future changes in the landscape of the private areas in the Cerrado biome. It should be replicated in other ecosystems, supporting the decision-making process for biodiversity protection.

Megaincendios 2020 en Córdoba: Incidencia del fuego en áreas de valor ecológico y socioeconómico

In 2020, the Sierras of Córdoba suffered the most extreme fire season in recent collective memory, causing severe ecological and socioeconomic damage. In this study, we mapped the fires of 2020 using Sentinel 2 imagery, we compared the season with historical statistics from 1987-2019 in terms of number of fires, burned area, fire size distribution and fire frequency. Additionally, we analyzed fire incidence in areas of ecological value (protected natural areas [PNA], priority areas for biodiversity conservation [CPA] and native forests protected by Federal Law [#26331/07]) and in areas of socioeconomic value (productive and residential lands, considering their tax value). In 2020, nearly 291866 ha burned in the Sierras of Córdoba —becoming the fire season with the second largest burned area in 34 years—, with a record of 5 megafires (≥10000 ha). Many burned areas had fire return intervals from 3 to 9 years on average, constituting as hotspot regions of fire in our study area. Flames affected more than 5% of PNA, 12% of CPA and 12% of forests protected by federal law. Fires affected mainly the rural areas, and to a lesser extent, urban lands with tax values of AR$8677 and 24592 million, respectively. Extreme drought and fuel availability were determinants for the occurrence of megafires, while the pandemic lockdown suggests that fires were not set by negligent urban inhabitants. The damages caused by the 2020 megafires and the possibility of similar scenarios in the future require policies towards an integral management of the fire issue in Córdoba province.

祁连山国家公园植被时空变化及其对人类活动的响应

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 祁连山国家公园植被时空变化及其对人类活动的响应 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202107221990 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 甘肃省创新群体项目（20JR10RA038）；中国科学院"西部之光"交叉团队项目-重点实验室合作研究专项；国家重点研发计划项目（2019YFC0507401） Spatial and temporal changes in vegetation cover and response to human activities in Qilian Mountain National Park Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:祁连山国家公园地处青藏、蒙新、黄土三大高原交汇地带的祁连山北麓，作为国家公园体制试点之一，是我国重要的生态功能区、水源涵养地和生物多样性保护优先区域，其生态功能不可忽视。以祁连山国家公园2000-2019年归一化植被指数（NDVI）和净初级生产力（NPP）数据为基础，结合气温、降水、土地利用、矿产开采和旅游发展数据，利用泰尔-森趋势分析（Theil-Sen趋势分析）、曼-肯德尔检验（Mann-Kendall显著性检验）、土地转移概率矩阵和多元残差分析方法，分析该区域的植被时空分布特征、变化趋势特征及其对气候变化和人类活动的响应。结果表明：（1）2000-2019年祁连山国家公园内NDVI和NPP在空间上呈现出东南高西北低，由东南向西北递减的格局。时间上呈现上升趋势，上升速率分别为0.0053/a和0.0014/a；（2）祁连山国家公园内NPP提高、降低和稳定区域分别占总面积的87.29%、0.40%和12.30%。降低区域零星分布于整个国家公园，其中在走廊南山和冷龙岭交汇处，靠近甘青两省交界边缘分布最为集中。提高区域分布广泛，尤其以国家公园东部最为明显；（3）祁连山国家公园NDVI与气温呈现显著正相关区域约占40.18%，与降水呈现正相关区域约占25.70%，气温上升、降水增多促进了国家公园植被生长，适宜的水热组合对植被生长更有利；（4）人类活动对植被变化的影响具有两面性：约有28.91%矿业、旅游和水电站在整改、规范之后植被生长状况仍较差，生态环境没有明显恢复；退耕还林还草工程、生态林建设工程成效显著，近3年林地、草地面积增多。（5）祁连山国家公园大部分植被覆盖变化是由气候变化和人类活动共同导致。 Abstract:Qilian Mountain National Park is located in the north piedmont of Qilian Mountains at the intersection of Qinghai-Tibet, Mongolian-Xinjiang and Loess. As one of the national park system pilots, Qilian Mountain National park is an important ecological function area, a water retention area and a priority area for biodiversity conservation in China, and its ecological functions cannot be ignored. Based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Net Primary Productivity (NPP) of Qilian Mountain National Park from 2000-2019, combined with temperature, precipitation, land use, mineral extraction and tourism development data, we used the Theil-Sen slope estimation, Mann-Kendall test, land transfer matrix and multivariate residual analysis methods to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of vegetation, change trend characteristics and its response to climate change and human activities. The results showed that (1) NDVI and NPP in Qilian Mountain National Park from 2000 to 2019 showed a spatial pattern of high in the southeast and low in the northwest, decreasing from southeast to northwest. Temporally, they showed an increasing trend, with an increase rate of 0.0053/a and 0.0014/a, respectively. (2) The improved, decreased and stable areas of NPP in Qilian Mountain National Park accounted for 87.29%, 0.40% and 12.30% of the total area, respectively. Decreased areas are scattered throughout the national park, with the most concentrated distribution at the intersection of Zoulang South Mountains and Lenglongling, near the border edge of Gansu and Qinghai provinces. The improved areas are widely distributed, especially the most obvious in the eastern part of the national park. (3) The NDVI of Qilian Mountain National Park shows a significant positive correlation with temperature in about 40.18% of the area, and a positive correlation with precipitation in about 25.70% of the area, the increase in temperature and precipitation promotes the growth of vegetation in the national park, and a suitable combination of hydrothermal conditions is more favorable to the growth of vegetation.(4) The impact of human activities on vegetation changes was two-sided:Approximately 28.91% of mining, tourism and hydroelectric power stations in the national park still had poor vegetation growth after rectification and regulation, and the ecological environment has not recovered significantly; The cropland to forest and grassland conversion projects and ecological forest projects have been effective, the area of forest and grassland has increased, in the past three years.(5) Most of the vegetation cover changes in Qilian Mountain National Park were caused by a combination of climate change and human activity. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Medium and large-sized mammals of a private protected wetland in the Cerrado-Amazon biological corridor, Brazil.

Brazil is the world's richest country in biodiversity, including mammal species. In the Brazilian Cerrado biome, mammalian diversity is vast, with about 251 species, 32 of them are endemic and 22 listed as threatened species. In this work, we investigated species diversity of medium- and large-sized mammals in the private protected area RPPN Pontal do Jaburu (RPPN-PJ) and its surroundings, which is a flooded area located in an important biological corridor in the Cerrado-Amazon ecotone zone, a priority area for biodiversity conservation in Brazil. We used camera-trapping, active search (night and day), and track survey during dry season (Apr - Aug 2016). We recorded 29 mammal species, being the Carnivora order the most representative with 11 species. Regarding threat status, 35.7% of the recorded species were listed as threatened in Brazil and 32.1% worldwide. We highlight the high relative frequency of threatened species records such as Tapirus terrestris, Panthera onca, Blastocerus dichotomus, Pteronura brasiliensis, Priodontes maximus, and other, as well as the presence of the newly described aquatic mammal species Inia araguaiaensis. We stress the importance of RPPN-PJ and its surroundings for mammal conservation, which include complex habitats (wetlands) located in an important ecotone zone.

Using biodiversity indicators to identify priority areas for freshwater conservation in the African “Mediterranean Basin” biodiversity hotspot

The conservation of freshwater biodiversity is a global challenge for conservation biologists. The loss of freshwater biodiversity in the Mediterranean basin is particularly concerning given its biodiversity hotspot status and that its landscapes have been subject to anthropogenic modification and pressures for millennia. Most research on this region has focused on the conservation of the European region of the hotspot while knowledge regarding the north African part of the basin is much more limited. Recent research on aquatic insects has indicated that considering the combined richness of mayflies (Ephemeroptera) and aquatic beetles (Coleoptera) at the genus level is an effective surrogate for wider freshwater biodiversity within Mediterranean areas. For the first time, we use Ephemeroptera and aquatic Coleoptera biodiversity (using richness, rarity complementarity and irreplaceability) to identify freshwater biodiversity conservation priority areas in the African sector of the Mediterranean Basin global biodiversity hotspot. In addition, we undertake a gap analysis to determine how effective protected areas are in conserving the areas identified. Freshwater biodiversity conservation priority areas were mainly located in mountainous areas in the north of Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, close to the Mediterranean Sea. Surprisingly, almost 80 % of these areas are currently unprotected. These results indicate the urgent need for policies and international agreements to protected North African freshwater biodiversity.

Identifying priority areas for biodiversity conservation based on Marxan and InVEST model

Identifying priority areas for biodiversity conservation based on Marxan and InVEST model

Geographic Variation in the Species Composition of Parrotfish (Labridae: Scarini) in the South China Sea

Since parrotfish in coral reefs are involved in key ecological processes, this study compiled species presence-absence data across 51 sites in the South China Sea to identify and explore the distribution and relationship between species and large-scale factors. A total of 50 species of parrotfish were recorded during the compilation, of which Scarus ghobban Forsskål, 1775 was the most common and widespread. The Nansha Islands, having a vast area of coral reefs and great proximity away from human interference, had the highest abundance with 41 species. Nestedness analysis indicated that the parrotfish community had statistically significant nested patterns in the South China Sea, and the Nansha Islands were the topmost site for the nested matrix rank. Scleractinian coral species richness and log(reef area) both had a significant effect on the site nested matrix rank (p &lt; 0.05), which supports the habitat nestedness hypothesis in the South China Sea. Compared with browsers and excavators, scrapers were determined to be the most important functional group composition, while browsers had a greater contribution to the species nested matrix rank. A linear regression model showed that parrotfish species’ richness increased with increasing longitude, scleractinian coral species richness, and reef area. Longitudinal variations in the parrotfish species richness were related to its distance from the biodiversity hotspot in the Indo-Australian Archipelago. Parrotfish were mainly distributed in the temperature range of 26–29 °C, similar to the optimum temperature for coral growth. The Nansha Islands should be considered biodiversity conservation priority areas for the conservation of parrotfish in degraded coral reef habitats, particularly in the context of increasing natural variability and anthropogenic disturbances.

Criteria and Indicators to Define Priority Areas for Biodiversity Conservation in Vietnam

Balancing biodiversity conservation with land use for agricultural production is a major societal challenge. Conservation activities must be prioritized since funds and resources for conservation are insufficient in the context of current threats, and conservation competes with other societal priorities. In order to contribute to conservation priority-setting literature, we applied an environmental model, Pressure–State–Response (PSR), to develop a set of criteria for identifying priority areas for biodiversity conservation in Vietnam. Our empirical data have been compiled from 185 respondents and categorized into three groups: Governmental Administration and Organizations, Universities and Research Institutions, and Protected Areas. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) theory was used to identify the weight of all criteria. Our results show that the priority levels for biodiversity conservation identified by these three factors are 41% for “Pressure”, 26% for “State”, and 33% for “Response”. Based on these three factors, seven criteria and seventeen indicators were developed to determine priority areas for biodiversity conservation. Besides, our study also reveals that the groups of Governmental Administration and organizations and Protected Areas put a focus on the “Pressure” factor, while the group of Universities and Research Institutions emphasized the importance of the “Response” factor in the evaluation process. We suggest that these criteria and indicators be used to identify priority areas for biodiversity conservation in Vietnam.

Spatial Pattern and Habitat Changes of Amphibian Species in the Priority Area for Biodiversity Conservation in the South Hengduan Mountains

Amphibian species, as typical objects to study the evolution of vertebrates from aquatic to terrestrial, have faced serious threats in recent decades. This study revealed changes in the spatial distribution pattern of amphibians and their habitats in the priority area for biodiversity conservation in the south of the Hengduan Mountains based on remote sensing and field survey data. Results showed that 71 species of amphibians in 27 genera of 10 families of 2 orders were recorded in the study area, among which 46 species were endemic to China. In particular, there were four national protected species and two newly found species. The amphibian species richness was overall higher in the northern part and lower in the southern part of the study area. There was an obvious variation in the species composition in five major geographic zones in the study area, and the species richness, number, and endemism were all the highest in areas between 2000 and 3000 m. There was a higher abundance of some endemic species, i.e., the Amolops, Bufo, and Scutiger. The main habitats of amphibian species included the forest, farmland, and grassland. There was remarkable fragmentation of these habitats, which was mainly due to land use conversion. There are currently 14 national nature reserves in the study area, covering 39 amphibian species, but there are still 32 amphibian species outsides these nature reserves. It is recommended to carry out long-term located monitoring, improve the existing protection network, and fill the protection gaps to achieve effective protection of these valuable biological resources.