Priority Sites Research Articles

Rapid recolonisation of feral cats following intensive culling in a semi-isolated context

Invasive feral cats threaten biodiversity at a global scale. Mitigating feral cat impacts and reducing their populations has therefore become a global conservation priority, especially on islands housing high endemic biodiversity. The New Caledonian archipelago is a biodiversity hotspot showing outstanding terrestrial species richness and endemism. Feral cats prey upon at least 44 of its native vertebrate species, 20 of which are IUCN Red-listed threatened species. To test the feasibility and efficiency of culling, intensive culling was conducted in a peninsula of New Caledonia (25.6 km²) identified as a priority site for feral cat management. Live-trapping over 38 days on a 10.6 km² area extirpated 36 adult cats, an estimated 44% of the population. However, three months after culling, all indicators derived from camera-trapping (e.g., abundance, minimum number of individuals and densities) suggest a return to pre-culling levels. Compensatory immigration appears to explain this unexpectedly rapid population recovery in a semi-isolated context. Since culling success does not guarantee a long-term effect, complementary methods like fencing and innovative automated traps need to be used, in accordance with predation thresholds identified through modelling, to preserve island biodiversity. Testing general assumptions on cat management, this article contributes important insights into a challenging conservation issue for islands and biodiversity hotspots worldwide.

Low-cost biomonitoring and high-resolution, scalable models of urban metal pollution

As the global toll on human lives and ecosystems exacted by urban pollution grows, planning tools still lack the resolution to identify priority sites where toxic pollution can be most efficiently averted at a spatial scale that matches funding and management. Here we tackle this gap by demonstrating novel scalable methods to monitor and predict urban metal pollution at high resolution (<5 m) across large areas (10,000–100,000 km2) to guide pollution reduction and stormwater management. We showcase and calibrate predictive models of Zn, Cu, and a synthetic index of pollution for the Puget Sound region of Washington State, U.S., a densely urbanized yet important ecosystem of conservation interest, and exemplify their transferability across the entire United States. We leveraged widely and freely available datasets of car traffic characteristics and land use as predictor variables and trained the models with biological monitoring data of metal concentrations in epiphytic moss from >100 trees based on new rapid and low-cost protocols introduced in this study. Our model predictions, showing that 50% of the total Cu and Zn pollution across the Puget Sound watershed is deposited over only 3.3% of the land area, will allow cities to effectively and efficiently target toxic hotspots.

UNIDADES DE CONSERVAÇÃO CARIOCAS: HISTÓRICO E CENÁRIO ATUAL

Protected areas are the main strategy for biodiversity conservation. The Atlantic Forest is a biodiversity hotspot therefore a priority site for establishing protected areas. This work describes the history and current scenario of the Conservation Units (UCs – Unidades de Conservação in Portuguese) – as protected areas are called in Brazil – in Rio de Janeiro municipality. Therefore, this study reports the process of UCs creation in Rio de Janeiro, analyzes how they are distributed among the different categories of the Brazilian National Protected Areas System and spatially throughout the city and, finally, verifies if UCs have a management plan and how they were elaborated. The process of UCs establishment in Rio de Janeiro seems to reflect the world growing concern about environmental issues which resulted in changes in the Brazilian environmental policies. Currently, 24% of the city area is covered by forests and 67% of this forest cover is inside its 60 UCs. This scenario is not as positive as it sounds: (1) half of Rio de Janeiro UCs belongs to a category which might be of little efficiency in conserving biodiversity, (2) the existence of these UCs does not guarantee biodiversity conservation as many seem to be “paper parks” and only 25% of the UCs have its most relevant management tool and (3) most UCs overlap among each other which can lead to uncertainties regarding the management responsibility of the areas that they share. Considering that the city has forest cover below the minimum quantity to maintain biodiversity integrity, the effectiveness of its UCs have to be maximized. This requires that Rio de Janeiro UCs have their limits revised to eliminate their overlaps and have an appropriate management guided through well-designed and frequently updated management plans.

Planning green infrastructure placement based on projected precipitation data

Continued urbanization has led to tremendous changes on the landscape. These changes have exacerbated the effects of extreme climatic events such as flooding because of constrained water infiltration and increased surface flow. Typical runoff control measures involve sophisticated gray infrastructure that guide excess surface flow into storage and disposal sites. In a dynamic climate system, these measures are not sustainable since they cannot be easily modified to accommodate large volumes of runoff. Green Infrastructure (GI) is an adaptable technique that can be used to minimize runoff, in addition to offering an array of additional benefits (urban heat regulation, aesthetics, improved air quality etc.). Strategic placement of GI is key to achieving maximum utility. While physical site characteristics play a major role in determining suitable GI placement sites, knowledge of future precipitation patterns is crucial to ensure successful flood mitigation. In this paper, suitable GI sites within the city of Knoxville, Tennessee, were determined based on potential impact of an extreme flood event as indicated by site characteristics. Then, the relative potential likelihood of a flood event was determined based on projected precipitation data and knowledge of existing flood zones. By combining potential impact with likelihood information, low, medium, and high priority GI implementation sites were established. Results indicate that high priority sites are in the central parts of the city with priority decreasing outward. The GI prioritization scheme presented here, offers valuable guidance to city planners and policy makers who wish to exploit the GI approach for flood mitigation.

Composition and spatial distribution of metals and sulfur in urban roadside dust in Cancun, Mexico

The study investigated the concentration of metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and S in urban dust samples of Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico. This is the first study about urban dust pollution in Cancun. Urban dust samples were collected and divided in three groups: high traffic densities (HT), low traffic densities (LT), and fixed sources (FS). A statistical analysis was performed using Pearson correlation, Principal Component Analysis, and k-means clustering, in order to classify the data according to each sampling site. The behaviour of the corresponding concentration distributions is shown in cartographic data using Geographic Information Systems. Results from highest to lowest concentration, are as follows: S > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cr > Ni > Cd. Concentrations were compared with NOM-147-SEMARNAT/SSA1-2004, USEPA guidelines, and atmospheric fallout in topsoil estimated by 100 years of accumulation. Almost all results meet the norm NOM-147-SEMARNAT/SSA1-2004 limit, and USEPA guideline, except Cr (two sites) and Pb (three sites). However, results at all sites are higher than the atmospheric fallout limit. The geo-accumulation index (I-geo) class presents the order: Pb > Cu > Cd > Zn > S>Cr > Ni. The research revealed that urban dust from sites with heavy traffic had the highest S, Zn and Pb concentrations, while sites considered as low traffic and fixed sources showed significantly high levels of S, Cr and Pb. The results indicate two major sources contributing to metals and sulfur in road dust: (1) traffic and emissions from vehicles, and (2) vehicular parts. Finally, the results reported in this work could be useful to the authorities in order to select priority sites to install emissions monitoring systems.

Scaling up local ecological knowledge to prioritise areas for protection: Determining Philippine pangolin distribution, status and threats

Local ecological knowledge (LEK) can provide cost-effective baseline ecological data across large geographical areas, and is increasingly seen as an important source of information for rare and cryptic species. However, to date, its use as a practical tool for prioritising conservation action is limited. Pangolins are the world’s most heavily trafficked wild mammals and all species are in decline. The Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis) is Critically Endangered but conservation efforts are hindered by a lack of knowledge on where populations still exist and where in situ action should be prioritised. We conducted the first range-wide systematic survey for the species using household interviews (n = 1296) to provide new data on pangolin distribution, status and threats, and to assess the use of LEK for highlighting priority areas for conservation. LEK about pangolins was high (87% of respondents recognised pangolins and provided further information), with evidence of pangolin occurrence in 17 of the 18 municipalities surveyed. The majority (70%) of respondents had seen a pangolin, but most (72%) perceived pangolins to be ‘rare’ or ‘very rare’, and local use of pangolins was reported across the species’ range. Spatial differences in sighting frequencies, perceived abundance and reported population trends were observed, providing an important baseline to identify priority sites for targeted research and community-based pangolin conservation.

Spatial distribution, sources and risk assessment of perfluoroalkyl substances in surface soils of a representative densely urbanized and industrialized city of China

As a representative densely urbanized and industrialized city of China, Ningbo has experienced extremely rapid development, with a wide variety of chemical, electronic, pharmaceutical, and paper manufacturing industries. However, limited data and researches are available regarding the levels and profiles of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in surface soils of Ningbo. The present study was launched to address the knowledge gap through analyzing 27 sites in five functional regions for 9 PFASs types. Results showed that concentrations of the total PFASs (∑PFASs) ranged from 0.63 to 25.6 ng·g−1, with an average of 10.1 ng·g−1. The concentrations of ∑PFASs in different functional regions were in the order of landfill sites > industrial areas > farmlands > residential communities > animal farms. Correlation analyses between soil physicochemical properties and PFASs content revealed that concentrations of ∑PFASs were negatively correlated with soil pH but positively correlated with soil organic matter. Principal component analysis indicated that fluorochemical industrial discharge, daily life discharge, atmospheric precipitation, and electrochemical fluorination process dominated factor loadings. In addition, the ecological risk assessment based on the risk quotient demonstrated that although the risk of PFOA contamination in landfill sites was highest, there are no risk of PFOA and PFOS contamination in the surface soil environment, but needs more supervision for the neighborhood of landfill sites to avoid additional risk. This work provides new data on the different PFAS profiles in soils impacted by different contamination sources within a densely urbanized and industrialized area, and the results obtained should be useful for delineating priority sites for remediation and restauration of polluted soils.

A blueprint for securing Brazil's marine biodiversity and supporting the achievement of global conservation goals

AbstractAimAs a step towards providing support for an ecological approach to strengthening marine protected areas (MPAs) and meeting international commitments, this study combines cumulative impact assessment and conservation planning approach to undertake a large‐scale spatial prioritization.LocationExclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Brazil, Southwest Atlantic Ocean.MethodsWe developed a prioritization approach to protecting different habitat types, threatened species ranges and ecological connectivity, while also mitigating the impacts of multiple threats on biodiversity. When identifying priorities for conservation, we accounted for the co‐occurrence of 24 human threats and the distribution of 161 marine habitats and 143 threatened species, as well as their associated vulnerabilities. Additionally, we compared our conservation priorities with MPAs proposed by local stakeholders.ResultsWe show that impacts to habitats and species are widespread and identify hot spots of cumulative impacts on inshore and offshore areas. Industrial fisheries, climate change and land‐based activities were the most severe threats to biodiversity. The highest priorities were mostly found towards the coast due to the high cumulative impacts found in nearshore areas. As expected, our systematic approach showed a better performance on selecting priority sites when compared to the MPAs proposed by local stakeholders without a typical conservation planning exercise, increasing the existing coverage of MPAs by only 7.9%. However, we found that proposed MPAs still provide some opportunities to protect areas facing high levels of threats.Main conclusionsThe study presents a blueprint of how to embrace a comprehensive ecological approach when identifying strategic priorities for conservation. We advocate protecting these crucial areas from degradation in emerging conservation efforts is key to maintain their biodiversity value.

Geochemical Composition of the Lomé Lagoon Sediments, Togo: Seasonal and Spatial Variations of Major, Trace and Rare Earth Element Concentrations

The concentrations of major, trace (TE), and rare earth (REE) elements and their seasonal and spatial distribution were studied on the fine fraction (&lt;63 µm) of the sediments of the Lomé lagoons (West Lake, East Lake, and Lake Bè). The sediments were collected on a total of nine sampling sites (three per Lake) during two campaigns (dry season and rainy season). The quality of the sediments was assessed on the basis of the enrichment factor (EF) and the labile or non-residual fraction (NRF) in relation to the values recommended for the quality of the sediments (Sediment Quality Guidelines, SQG). The distribution of rare earth elements shows enrichments in light rare earths superior to those of heavy rare earth elements during any season. Positive Ce anomalies are less noticeable and less variable between seasons than Eu anomalies. La/Yb ratios are positively correlated with the percentage of Al and Fe oxides and with the percentage of fine fractions. The main bearing phases of rare earth elements are, therefore, Al and Fe oxides and the finest fractions of the sediments. The concentrations of trace elements vary little, according to the seasons, but show strong variations from one element to another. The degrees of enrichment obtained are moderate for Bi, Cr, Ga, Mo, Pb, Sn, and Zn (1.5 &lt; EF &lt; 5) to significant for As, Cd, and Sb (5 &lt; EF &lt; 20) for all sites of Lake Bè. For the sites of West Lake, the degrees of enrichment obtained are moderate for As, Cd, Cu, Mo, and Pb (1.5 &lt; EF &lt; 5) to a significance for As, Bi, Cd, Pb, Sb, Sn, and Zn (5 &lt; EF &lt; 20). Only the East Lake sites show high degrees of enrichment for elements such as Sb and Sn (20 &lt; EF &lt; 40). Trace elements (TE) such as As, Cd, Cu, and Ni have total concentrations within the range of variation of the SQG concentrations (particularly Probable Effect Level (PEL) and Effect Range Median (ERM)), whereas Cr, Pb, and Zn total concentrations are higher. The ranking of priority sites with respect to the sediment contamination is determined according to ERM and PEL quotients in relation to the probability of toxicity for benthic organisms. For almost all the sites, the priority is lowest to medium-low with regard to As, Cd, and Cu and medium-high (Cr and Ni) to highest (Pb and Zn), particularly for the East and West Lakes. Moreover, the NRF can represent significant percentages of the total TE concentrations: 5% to 15% for As, Bi, Ni, V, Mo, and Sc, 15% to 25% for Co, Cu, and Sr, 25% to 40% for Pb and Zn and, lastly, 47% to 55% for Cd.

Ex situ and in situ conservation gap analysis of crop wild relative diversity in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East

Crop wild relatives (CWRs) are important reservoirs of adaptive traits for crop breeding programmes. Both ex situ and in situ conservation approaches should be deployed to ensure CWR availability for use. This paper aims to (a) create a regional database of occurrence records for the 441 priority CWRs in the Fertile Crescent, (b) identify CWR-rich areas in the Fertile Crescent, (c) recommend locations to implement genetic reserves intended for CWRs active in situ conservation and (d) undertake ex situ and in situ conservation gap analyses. The study area comprises Jordan, Syria, Palestine/Israel, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq. Occurrence records of the 441 priority CWR within the Fertile Crescent were gathered from herbaria, gene banks and online databases. Gaps in the current ex situ and in situ conservation were identified. Hotspots of CWR diversity were identified, and complementary analysis was carried out to identify areas for in situ conservation using DIVA-GIS. Then proposed genetic reserves were compared with the existing protected areas to establish genetic reserve areas whether within or outside the protected areas. A total of 23,878 occurrence records were collated for 441 CWR priorities. The first priority grid square is located in Syria near Tal Kalakh City, close to the Lebanese border from the north. The second priority site is located in Turkey’s Izmir Province near Kemal Atatürk Mahallesi. The third priority site is located in Turkey’s Sahinbey/Gaziantep Province. The ex situ gap analysis revealed that of the 441 taxa, 134 (30%) CWRs are totally absent from the current gene banks collections. Only 307 (70%) CWRs are represented in gene banks, and, of these taxa, 252 (57%) of them have less than 10 accessions in gene banks. A total of 353 taxa were categorised as a high priority for collection and conservation; 23 taxa were categorised as a medium priority and 41 taxa as a low priority. However, 24 taxa were identified that did not require urgent collection (see Supplementary Table 7). The most important areas for a further collection of ex situ conservation are located in the west and south of Turkey across the Mediterranean seashore, north of Lebanon and west of Syria (in Lattakia and Tartus Governorate), across the border between Turkey and Syria and northern Iraq. Ten genetic reserves are recommended in the Fertile Crescent for CWR conservation. The results and methods used will help meet the conservation targets of CWR in the Fertile Crescent; they will also help achieve global food security.

Priority sites and conservation gaps of wintering waterbirds in the Yangtze River floodplain

The Yangtze River floodplain is critical for migratory waterbirds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). Greater awareness of its global importance is urgently needed to ensure waterbird populations remain in favourable conservation status, as well as the enhancement of wider wetland biodiversity within this region. The designation of protected wetland areas and building a green ecological corridor in the Yangtze floodplain is now becoming a critical issue of interest to the Chinese government. Priority sites in this area were identified based on the criteria used to identify sites that qualify as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites) and Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) by using multi-source data. The results show that 140 of the sites surveyed are priority sites. The Importance Index (/) for the whole floodplain decreased slightly from 2001–2005 and an unbalanced distribution pattern is evident with Jiangxi and Hunan provinces significantly higher than the other provinces in the floodplain. Although more than 60% of the priority sites are currently located outside protected areas, the average Conservation Effectiveness Index (C) of the whole floodplain is 75.6%, which suggests the coverage of protected areas for most wintering waterbird population is reasonable. Conservation of the Yangtze River floodplain needs to be further strengthened due to declining waterbird abundances and the mismatch between the distribution of protected areas and their importance for wintering waterbirds. A comprehensive system for priority site identification and protection and scientific review is needed. Multi-sourced data from regular, systematic and coordinated monitoring of waterbird distribution and abundance across the EAAF, as well as national scale citizen science programmes are also critically important.

A resource optimization framework for improving railway-highway grade crossing safety in Canada

This paper presents a new approach to address the problem of allocating federal resources and identifying upgrading projects for improving the safety of at-grade crossings in Canada. The proposed approach is unique in two key aspects. First, a risk-based network screening process is adopted to identify the priority sites for providing a justifiable basis for distributing the total budget at a regional level as well as narrowing the search space in the subject optimization step. Secondly, a mathematical programming approach is applied to formalize the resource allocation process with explicit consideration of the expected benefits – risk reduction and the costs of implementing the projects. This approach is expected to improve the process of identifying the optimal set of upgrading projects within each region, thus maximizing the return on investment. A full-scale case study from the Canadian crossing network is conducted to demonstrate the application of the proposed approach.

Intraspecific Variations in Functional and Molecular Traits of Near-Endemic Onopordum alexandrinum Boiss. in Natural and Anthropogenic Habitats along the Western Mediterranean Coast of Egypt: Implications for Conservation.

Onopordum alexandrinum is a near-endemic to Egypt and neighboring countries. Its habitats are designated as priority sites for conservation in the south and east Mediterranean regions. We hypothesize that variation in morphological, reproductive, and molecular traits could provide a survival strategy that allows the species to occupy landscapes including anthropogenic habitats (barley and abandoned fields) and natural habitats (sand dunes and desert plateau) with different soil resources along the western Mediterranean coast of Egypt. The results indicated that plant functional traits associated with high rates of resource acquisition and growth (e.g., high values of vegetative height and specific leaf area, and low values of leaf dry matter content) occurred in populations located in abandoned fields with high soil resources. The genetic diversity analyses indicated similarity in genetic diversity of the present populations of O. alexandrinum in barley and abandoned fields with those of sand dunes. However, the genetic structures of these populations were different from those of natural desert plateau, which suggests reduced rates of gene flow. In this framework, it is essential to monitor and reduce the anthropogenic activity which will not only support the conservation of genetic diversity within populations but will also help ensure the resilience of O. alexandrinum in the face of environmental and climatic changes.

Land Use Planning in Drylands: Participatory Processes in Diagnosing the Physical-Biological Subsystem

Land Use Planning (LUP) is a central tool of public policy for promoting Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in social-ecological systems of drylands, considering the strong dependence between local communities and their natural resources. This work highlights the collective process carried out for achieving the Diagnosis of the physical-biological subsystem and for formulating conservation and SLM strategies in La Paz department, Argentina, within the framework of the LUP Municipal Plan (LUPMP). To do so, a methodology that combines participatory techniques, like collective mapping, with use of geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing. The collective construction of knowledge, through interaction among the scientific, governmental and local communities, allowed to define and validate eight Territorial Integration Units, priority sites for conservation of the natural and cultural heritage, SLM practices and LUP programs. The resulting Diagnosis constitutes a key information input for making decisions aimed at sustainability, replicable in other drylands.

Predicting Occurrence, Abundance, and Fruiting of a Cultural Keystone Species to Inform Landscape Values and Priority Sites for Habitat Enhancements

Environmental niche modeling is an increasingly common tool in conservation and management of non-timber species. In particular, models of species’ habitats have been aided by new advances in remote sensing and it is now possible to relate forest structure variables to understory species at a relatively high resolution over large spatial scales. Here, we model landscape responses for a culturally-valued keystone shrub, velvet-leaf blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides Michaux), in northeast Alberta, Canada, to better understand the environmental factors promoting or limiting its occurrence, abundance, and fruit production, and to guide regional planning. Occurrence and abundance were measured at 845 and 335 sites, respectively, with both strongly related to land cover type and topo-edaphic factors. However, their influence varied widely, reflecting differences in the processes affecting occurrence and abundance. We then used airborne laser scanning (ALS) to characterize horizontal forest canopy cover for the study area, and related this and other geospatial variables to patterns in fruit production where we demonstrated a five-fold increase in fruit production from closed to open forest stands. We then simulated forest canopy thinning across the study area to identify places where gains in fruit production would be greatest following natural disturbance or directed management (e.g., thinning, prescribed burning). Finally, we suggest this approach could be used to identify sites for habitat enhancements to offset direct (land use change) or indirect (access) losses of resources in areas impacted with resource extraction activities, or simply to increase a culturally-valued resource through management.

Spatial prioritization of selected mining pitlakes from Eastern Coalfields region, India: A species distribution modelling approach

AbstractPitlake conservation is still a naive idea in a developing country. Species distribution modelling approaches can prove to be a useful tool in protecting biodiversity. The current study considers the ecological health of pitlakes through models of three winter migratory waterfowl species, namely Anser indicus (bar‐headed goose), Nettapus coromandelianus (cotton pygmy goose) and Netta rufina (red‐crested pochard), providing practical information for conservation setups in and around selected pitlakes in Eastern India. The AUC ± SD (Standard deviation) values of MaxEnt models of target species, viz. A. indicus, N. coromandelianus, and N. rufina are 0.729 ± 0.026, 0.772 ± 0.012, and 0.732 ± 0.024, respectively. Thus through the evaluation of the respective models and ground truth verification criteria, three pitlakes have proven to hold excellent conditions for the survival of these winter migratory birds as compared to the 20 studied ones. Three zones were created in these three lakes based on their characteristics to support these species and their associates. A large chunk of the region falls under the proposed zone of conservation priority sites from each of the three pitlakes. The need of the hour is to fulfill the voids between researchers, policymakers, and Eastern Coalfield's administration and work towards implementing the proposed idea.

Spatial conservation prioritisation in data-poor countries: a quantitative sensitivity analysis using multiple taxa

BackgroundSpatial conservation prioritisation (SCP) is a set of computational tools designed to support the efficient spatial allocation of priority areas for conservation actions, but it is subject to many sources of uncertainty which should be accounted for during the prioritisation process. We quantified the sensitivity of an SCP application (using software Zonation) to possible sources of uncertainty in data-poor situations, including the use of different surrogate options; correction for sampling bias; how to integrate connectivity; the choice of species distribution modelling (SDM) algorithm; how cells are removed from the landscape; and two methods of assigning weights to species (red-list status or prediction uncertainty). Further, we evaluated the effectiveness of the Egyptian protected areas for conservation, and spatially allocated the top priority sites for further on-the-ground evaluation as potential areas for protected areas expansion.ResultsFocal taxon (butterflies, reptiles, and mammals), sampling bias, connectivity and the choice of SDM algorithm were the most sensitive parameters; collectively these reflect data quality issues. In contrast, cell removal rule and species weights contributed much less to overall variability. Using currently available species data, we found the current effectiveness of Egypt’s protected areas for conserving fauna was low.ConclusionsFor SCP to be useful, there is a lower limit on data quality, requiring data-poor countries to improve sampling strategies and data quality to obtain unbiased data for as many taxa as possible. Since our sensitivity analysis may not generalise, conservation planners should use sensitivity analyses more routinely, particularly relying on more than one combination of SDM algorithm and surrogate group, consider correction for sampling bias, and compare the spatial patterns of predicted priority sites using a variety of settings. The sensitivity of SCP to connectivity parameters means that the responses of each species to habitat loss are important knowledge gaps.

Distribution and conservation status of Boutourlini's blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis boutourlinii), a Vulnerable subspecies endemic to western Ethiopia.

Reliable data on the distribution and threats facing primate species are crucial to identifying priority sites for conservation and designing effective management plans. Boutourlini's blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis boutourlinii) is a little-known arboreal primate endemic to the forests of western Ethiopia. This subspecies is categorized as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and the distribution of extant populations is largely unknown. To increase our knowledge of the spatial distribution and conservation status of Boutourlini's blue monkey, we carried out intensive reconnaissance surveys from January 2010 to May 2011 across approximately 40% of its potential range and conducted interviews with local people at each of the survey locations. We carried out geospatial analyses and mapped the distribution of Boutourlini's blue monkey localities with respect to elevation, protected area status, and changes in forest cover over time using ArcGIS10.4.0. Through our surveys, we discovered 30 previously unknown Boutourlini's blue monkey populations in three administrative regions of western Ethiopia (Amhara, Oromia, and Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Regions). A total of 34 different groups were sighted and counted at the survey sites, averaging 14.7 members (range 8-23) per group. There are now 32 Boutourlini's blue monkey populations of recently confirmed occurrence at altitudes ranging from 1039 to 2780m asl, seven in forests of greater than 50km2. Crop feeding by Boutourlini's blue monkeys was reported by people at seven sites and confirmed through direct observation at three of these sites. None of the known extant populations of Boutourlini's blue monkeys occur within a strictly protected area (e.g., national park) where exploitative human activities are outlawed. A complete reassessment of the distribution and conservation status of Boutourlini's blue monkey will require further surveys across the remaining approximately 60% of its potential range.

English

U Minh Thuong National Park is one of the two significant areas of peatland swamp forest remaining in Vietnam, and is recognized as one of the three highest priority sites for wetland conservation in Mekong Delta. A large area of Melaleuca Forest in the park was destroyed and degraded by a devastating fire in 2002. Besides this, an artificial flooding technique for controlling fire applied all over the park for several years changed the natural development of Melaleuca Forest. As the natural condition of the forest has changed, water management (artificial flooding) needs to be implemented to save this situation. Flooding regime has changed the structure and composition of the peatland, making it to be loose and reduced in structure. The peatland area in the park has water level of 30 cm underground and occupies 15% of the total park area. It emits very large amount of CO2 emissions. The main objective of this work is to study how to protect the forest biodiversity from fire by controlling its water level optimally after rainy season and to study the chemical and physical characteristics of the peatland soil of the forest that affect its water level Key words: Melaleuca Forest, peatland, flooding,

Socio-environmental conflicts: An underestimated threat to biodiversity conservation in Chile

Biodiversity is vital in the functioning of ecosystems, but it’s permanently being threatened by anthropic impacts derived from productive activities. Thus, conservation has become a global challenge. In Chile, the dissociation between economic activities and conservation has triggered numerous socio-environmental conflicts in recent decades. This work explores how different projects that give rise to these conflicts can represent an underestimated threat to biodiversity.We identified socio-environmental conflicts in Chile and their associated projects by carrying out an online review of 1035 news articles published between 2004 and 2018 using the key words “environmental conflict”. We selected articles describing a socio-environmental conflict between parties caused by a project or productive sector. Conflict-generating projects were classified by productive sector and capital origin. In addition, their geographical distribution with respect to High Conservation Value Areas (HCVAs, protected areas and priority sites for conservation) was determined.A total of 283 projects were identified from 14 different productive sectors, most of them related to energy and mining, which threaten biodiversity and human well-being mainly due to pollution and habitat destruction. Chilean companies finance most of the projects, but international companies finance over half of the energy and mining projects. Moreover, 37 % of the projects were located within HCVAs either for the establishment of future protected areas or where protected areas are currently established. As countries make new efforts to maintain and recover biodiversity, it is contradictory not to consider the threats posed by conflict-generating projects to key areas for conservation, both in public policies and in spatial planning instruments.