Protected Species Research Articles

Genetic variability of the endangered fish lake minnow (Eupallasella percnurus) in populations newly established by translocation and those existing long term in Poland.

The lake minnow Eupallasella percnurus is a small leuciscid fish. In Poland, this species has been in a continuous decline since the mid-20th century and is presently considered as a extremely endangered. According to Polish law, E. percnurus is a strictly protected species that requires active conservation measures. In Poland, one the most common and effective measure of active protection E. percnurus is initiation of new populations. For this purpose, in 2004-2012, juvenile individuals originating from aquaculture conditions were translocated to group of isolated water bodies not inhabited by this species. The juveniles were offspring of parental fish belonging to the same local population, which is extinct at present. Five of those attempts were successful. The aim of the present study was to assess the genetic variation in a group new populations and compare genetic variation indicators with 13 old populations that had existed for decades. The polymorphism of 13 microsatellite markers was investigated, significance of differences in the genetic variation indicators between the groups were tested using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The mean values of all summary statistics under study, i.e. observed heterozygosity, expected heterozygosity and the total number of alleles, were higher in the group of new populations compared to almost all old ones. A similar dependence was found for Garza-Williamson M values, where the mean for the group of new populations was higher than in almost all old populations. Our results indicate that all recently established E. percnurus populations have not yet experienced any extensive founder effects or bottlenecks. They have preserved a large part of the genetic variability typical of their maternal population, which might also have been relatively high. This feature of new populations, may give them a relatively high ability to adapt to changing environments in the future.

On the Study of Fauna (Macroinvertebrates, Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds and Mammals) of the Lower Course of Shokhdara River Valley in Pamir, Mountain Bodakhshan, Tajikistan

This paper contains information on the records of bottom macroinvertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals collected during a field expedition to the valley of the Shokhdara River (in the vicinities of town of Khorog city) near its mouth and confluence with Panj River in autumn 2019 – spring 2020. According to the results of the study, 3 fish species (Actinopterigii) were found inhabiting Shokhdara River with 1 additional species being confirmed by locals. The taxonomic composition of the registered fish species is as follows: Cyprinidae – 2, Nemacheilidae – 1. 5 species of reptiles (Squamata: Colubridae – 2, Viperidae – 1, Agamidae – 1, Gekkonidae - 1), and 1 species of amphibians (Anura: Bufonidae – 1) were registered within the investigated area. 24 taxonomic groups of water macroinvertebrates were spotted (89,7% - Insecta): Simuliidae - 35,8%, Ephemeroptera – 18,7%, Chironomidae – 18%, Trichoptera – 10,5%, Oligochaeta – 6,5%, Plecoptera – 2,8%, Diptera – 2,5%, Gastropoda – 2,5%. Nematoda, Turbilaria, Ostracoda, Copepoda, Сyclops, Sphaerium, Araneida, Acarina, Odonata, Heteroptera, Colleoptera, Neuroptera, Lepidoptera and Megaloptera in total counted as only 2,7% of all registered macroinvertebrates. A total of 99 bird species (48% of the avifauna of the studied region) were registered during autumn/spring research. Among Mammalia class such valuable and rare internationally protected species as Asian otter, snow leopard and Himalayan brown bear were confirmed to inhabit the areas adjacent to the studies river valley.

DNA Sequencing Technologies and DNA Barcoding.

DNA barcodes are short, standardized DNA segments that geneticists can use to identify all living taxa. On the other hand, DNA barcoding identifies species by analyzing these specific regions against a DNA barcode reference library. In its initial years, DNA barcodes sequenced by Sanger's method were extensively used by taxonomists for the characterization and identification of species. But in recent years, DNA barcoding by next-generation sequencing (NGS) has found broader applications, such as quality control, biomonitoring of protected species, and biodiversity assessment. Technological advancements have also paved the way to metabarcoding, which has enabled massive parallel sequ.encing of complex bulk samples using high-throughput sequencing techniques. In future, DNA barcoding along with high-throughput techniques will show stupendous progress in taxonomic classification with reference to available sequence data.

Plant conservation in protected areas in Vietnam: an analysis from the Threatened Species Lists

In order to guide national conservation policies, lists of nationally threatened plant species are a useful tool. To facilitate the national biodiversity commitments, Vietnam published a conservation management guide. We evaluated the application of these guidelines, focusing on the conservation programs within protected areas across the country. We sent a survey to management offices of 32 protected areas to assess the extent to which the threatened plant species lists have been used in official conservation efforts. We found that the IUCN Red List, the Vietnam Red Data Book and the national decrees are the principal guidelines for conservation prioritization. Besides describing characteristics of conservation programs for threatened plant species, we discovered that the species selected for the programs did not always adhere to the guidelines but showed more or less a rule of thumb in selecting species from lists. We highlight that this is not necessarily a bad implementation if taking into account the shortage of finance and maximizing the number of protected species. Thus, to enhance the utility of the lists for the conservation of threatened plant species, we advise users to recognize that the lists are not always updated, and to employ them as a reasonable reference rather than as the sole guideline.

Presencia y residencia temporal de individuos de tortuga verde (Chelonia mydas) en la bahía de Abades (Tenerife). Presence

The presence and temporary residence of green turtle individuals (Chelonia mydas) in Abades Bay, located in the southeast of Tenerife (Canary Islands), are demonstrated for the f irst time. Over a period of three years (2020-2023), a visual monitoring of the individuals inhabiting the area was conducted, identifying 5 juvenile specimens that have been recurrently recorded during this time frame. The primary behavior of the individuals in the bay is the feeding on seagrass (Cymodocea nodosa); however, other relevant behaviors such as resting or interaction among individuals have also been observed. This extended residency highlights the high conservation significance of Abades bay and its seagrass meadows for this emblematic and protected species of sea turtle.

Inventory and characteristics of rare medicinal plants in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia

This work presents the structural analysis of rare medicinal plants of the flora in Tatarstan, Russia. The wild medicinal flora of Tatarstan includes 357 species, 9.5% of which have the status of protected plants. In Tatarstan, the protected species belonging to the subkingdom Higher spore plants are represented by two classes, two families and three genera. Protected Seed plants include Gymnosperms, represented by one class and one family, but the basis of the flora is formed by Angiosperms, including two classes, 15 families and 30 species. The most numerous families of rare plants in Tatarstan are Orchidaceae and Ericaceae. All representatives of this family are tuberiferous plants. Limited vegetative propagation leads to the reduction in species abundance. Plants of the family Ericaceae are confined to the ecological-cenotic group of oligotrophic plants, the distribution of which is associated with rare communities of sphagnum bogs. In general, on the territory Tatarstan, the composition of protected medicinal plants is dominated by wetland species. Among rare plants, more than 40% are located on the border of their range. However, the most common limiting factor for rare and endangered species is the direct or indirect influence of human activities on the natural habitats of medicinal plants.

Vocal signatures affected by population identity and environmental sound levels.

Passive acoustic monitoring has improved our understanding of vocalizing organisms in remote habitats and during all weather conditions. Many vocally active species are highly mobile, and their populations overlap. However, distinct vocalizations allow the tracking and discrimination of individuals or populations. Using signature whistles, the individually distinct calls of bottlenose dolphins, we calculated a minimum abundance of individuals, characterized and compared signature whistles from five locations, and determined reoccurrences of individuals throughout the Mid-Atlantic Bight and Chesapeake Bay, USA. We identified 1,888 signature whistles in which the duration, number of extrema, start, end, and minimum frequencies of signature whistles varied significantly by site. All characteristics of signature whistles were deemed important for determining from which site the whistle originated and due to the distinct signature whistle characteristics and lack of spatial mixing of the dolphins detected at the Offshore site, we suspect that these dolphins are of a different population than those at the Coastal and Bay sites. Signature whistles were also found to be shorter when sound levels were higher. Using only the passively recorded vocalizations of this marine top predator, we obtained information about its population and how it is affected by ambient sound levels, which will increase as offshore wind energy is developed. In this rapidly developing area, these calls offer critical management insights for this protected species.

Nest box occupancy dynamics by hazel dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) in central-western Romania

The hazel dormouse, Muscardinus avellanarius is a vulnerable and protected species that is challenging to study due to its specific way of life. Limited data on its distribution and population parameters are available for Romania. We collected data regarding species’ biology and ecology in the hilly areas of central-western Romania, within deciduous forests dominated by oak or beech species. We regularly monitored 80 wooden nestboxes, which served as shelter and breeding sites for the species, to assess the seasonal and sex-related variations in nest box usage. The highest occupancy levels were observed during the autumn, with a smaller peak in the spring. Males occupied more nest boxes than females, although the difference was not statistically significant. They also travelled greater distances. Most nest boxes were occupied by a single individual at a time. Recapture rates did not differ significantly between males and females, and most individuals were recaptured only once. Hazel dormice showed a high level of site fidelity, often returning to the same nestbox or one nearby. Interestingly, 14% of the females bred twice a year, which is a lower percentage compared to findings from other studies. Nest box occupancy rates in this region were also lower than those reported in other areas. However, it is important to note that these variations may be attributed to differences in methodology. The occupancy rate declined with the increased presence of the larger species, the fat dormouse Glis glis, which outcompeted the hazel dormouse.

Effects of two diets on growth and condition factor of Chitala lopis

The giant featherback Chitala lopis is fully protected fish species according to Indonesia's official list. The conservation of aquatic resources is achieved through implementing fish farming practices and optimizing feed utilization. This study aims to investigate the impact of different feeding rate on the growth patterns, performance, and condition factors of the first generation of giant featherback. The first generation of the fish were collected from the natural reproduction of broodstock in the earthen ponds. Fish were randomly divided at three different groups replicated three times and reared in the nine net cages installed in the earthen pond. The stocking density of the fish in each group was three fish per cage. The feed treatment involved fish bycatch as control (T0) (5% of the total weight) and freshwater shrimp, Caridina sp. with two different feeding rates including 5% (T1) and 7% (T2) of the total weight, respectively. The mean initial weight of the fish was 41 ± 3.85 g. The survival and absolute growth rate of T1 were highest (29.9±6.38 g, 78± 11%), but it is not significantly different (p0.05). The average relative growth rate of T1 is also highest (76.28±18.61%) and significantly different (p0.05). The growth pattern of the fish at the beginning of the study was negative allometric (0.54), which was low correlated (0.03), and at the end became positive allometric (4.17), which was moderately correlated (0.66). The highest condition factor was T2 (0.78±0.03) and had a significant effect (p0.05). Caridina sp. has a good impact on the first generation of giant featherback weight growth compared to other treatments in this study.Keywords:CultivationFeeding rateGiant featherbackCaridina sp.Rasbora sp.

2013–2022年云南丽江森林生物多样性国家野外科学观测研究站日气象数据集

Meteorological factors are important environmental elements of field positioning observation stations of CNERN, CERN and CFERN. The acquisition of high-quality observational data through long-term positioning observations is beneficial for advancing our scientific understanding of ecosystem processes and tracking dynamic changes in biodiversity. It also provides important support for the development of regional and national ecological, environmental, and resource security construction initiatives. As one of the Forest Biodiversity National Observation and Research Stations approved in 2021, Lijiang Station has been collecting data in accordance with the CERN meteorological monitoring standards for past consecutive years. Up to now, Lijiang Station has consistently maintained comprehensive data parameters, a structured approach, and a high level of data standardization. These data can serve as important foundation for various research endeavors, including dynamic changes in the structure, processes, and functions of regional forest ecosystems, the formation, evolution, and preservation of regional biodiversity mechanisms, forest biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, the monitoring, evaluation, and conservation of biodiversity for key wild protected species, and the assessment and innovative exploitation of distinctive biological resources. This dataset comprises 3,652 entries and 39 fields of daily meteorological data spanning from 2013 to 2022. It covers atmospheric elements (air temperature and humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, precipitation, radiation elements) and soil elements (soil stratified temperature and soil heat flux). The release of the dataset offers comprehensive fundamental meteorological data for scientific research in related fields and provides essential data support for local and large-scale networking research.

Representativeness of biota of the western part of Ukraine in the Data Centre ‘Biodversity of Ukraine’

This paper summarises the inventory of biota of the western region of Ukraine in the web resource Data Centre ‘Biodiversity of Ukraine’ (DCBU) (http://dc.smnh.org), a growing biodiversity platform launched on 25 May 2017 and which organises knowledge on the biodiversity of Ukraine. The main objective and originality of DCBU is to aggregate curated biodiversity data of different kinds (e.g. scientific and vernacular names, data records of species, their geotagged geographical and biotopic distribution, conservation categories, and representation in protected areas of Ukraine). The database of the resource is primarily filled with data concerning 7 oblasts (Volyn, Rivne, Lviv, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, and Zakarpattia oblasts) of the western region of Ukraine, which is discussed in this article. Currently, the following number of species of living organisms has been recorded for the mentioned oblasts of the region: Volyn Oblast—1311 species/80 protected species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine, Rivne Oblast—535/47, Lviv Oblast—3163/211, Ternopil Oblast—1081/164, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast—1942/157, Chernivtsi Oblast—672/87, and Zakarpatska Oblast—2125/149. Taxonomic accounts in the DCBU cover 5 kingdoms (Chromista, Protista, Plantae, Fungi, and Animalia), 22 phyla, 81 classes, 283 orders, 1292 families, 4741 genera, and 11 763 species. DCBU enables the following operations to be accomplished: to create species lists of different taxonomic rank of separate territorial regions and water bodies of the country and also of different time intervals, to create lists of protected and endemic species and of those that are deposited in collections of scientific institutions; to find a particular specimen according to the inventory number, to create species lists according to the type of recording/collecting, collected or determined by certain specialists, to search for literature sources concerning the Ukrainian biota, and to advanced search for all mentioned parameters as well. The accumulation of information on biodiversity, the possibility of its searching and the free access would promote the development and speed-up of scientific research, the effective control of the ecological state of the environment by the public, and sustainable development.

Species distribution modeling based on MaxEnt to inform biodiversity conservation in the Central Urban Area of Chongqing Municipality

Mainstreaming biodiversity into protection planning and management is of great significance for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Species potential distribution modeling is an effective way for species diversity evaluation and biodiversity hotspots identification, which are crucial for biodiversity conservation. Taking the Central Urban Area of Chongqing Municipality as the study area, the main objectives of this study were to identify the potentially suitable habitats, species richness and biodiversity of key protected species in current and future, determine the relative contribution of environmental factors and assess the conservation effectiveness of protected areas (PAs) based on MaxEnt model and gap analysis. The results showed that the current potentially suitable habitats of total key protected species were mainly located in “two rivers and four mountains”, with a total area of 1610.55 km2, of which forestland accounted for 59.78 %. Species suitable habitats demonstrated clear topographic heterogeneity, and the distribution index decreased at first and then increased with increasing terrain niche index (TNI). Meanwhile, it was observed that key protected plants and birds shared similar suitable habitats in mountainous areas, with an overlapping area of 753.53 km2, and the high species richness covered 182.83 km2. In 2050, the future biodiversity hotspots would remain stable and increase steadily. In terms of the direction of centroid shift, the biodiversity hotspots would migrate to low latitude, low altitude and southeast by 8.34 km. The jackknife tests indicated that the potential distribution of key protected species was mainly determined by land use, mean diurnal range and TNI. Additionally, the problems of high protection gaps and low protection effectiveness coexisted in the existing PAs, with the overlapping area of the comprehensive biodiversity hotspots and the existing PAs was only 446.96 km2. Finally, suggestions for natural PAs system optimization and ecological protection were proposed. This study provides scientific supports for biodiversity conservation and efficient management.

Good news from newts: distribution, population size, and dynamics of two protected newt species in the Jiu Gorge National Park, Romania

Long-time monitoring studies recently indicated that newts are in decline in many regions. Motivated by the above-mentioned, in the year 2019, we started monitoring the newt populations from the Jiu Gorge National Park (JGNP) in the Romanian Carpathians, 10 years after the previous study on the same topic. Compared with other areas where newts are in decline, we identified new distribution locations of the two newt species which are present in the park. Also, the previously known populations have greatly increased. Thus, the Lissotriton vulgaris population increased 2.58 times in 10 years, and the Triturus cristatus increased 1.80 times in 10 years. At the same time, in areas from JGNP affected by human activities in the past (abandoned quarry and areas adjacent to the railway), the newts extended their range in the last years and occupied artificial aquatic habitats. In the case of the populations from the natural habitat, the temporal dynamics and the ratio between sexes and species followed the same evolution as in the case of other populations from Romania. The increase of newt populations from JGNP in the last 10 years was most probably a consequence of the reduced human pressure, corroborated with the large surface occupied by native forests in the park. Thus, in natural areas, probably the best management measures for both newt species are not represented by direct (invasive) human interventions but by the conservation of the natural habitats used by the newts. A protected area should maintain the conservation status at least at the present level, and if the region is natural, this fact will maintain and also increase the newt and probably other amphibian populations.

Methodological approaches to assessing population-level impacts of bird collisions with wind turbines: a critical perspective

SummaryWind energy is a source of collision fatalities for birds and bats. To evaluate the risk that wind power development projects might pose to the conservation of protected species, it is essential to quantify the impact of collisions on the dynamics of wild populations. To address this challenge, two approaches are primarily employed: potential biological removal (PBR) and population projection analysis (PPA). PBR is a decision rule designed to calculate a sustainable fatality limit for a given population, whereas PPA relies on simulation-based modelling to forecast a population’s future trajectory under various scenarios. In the context of environmental impact assessments (EIAs), we argue that PPA offers a more suitable method than PBR for evaluating population-level impacts resulting from collisions with wind turbines. Unlike PBR, PPA can be focused on a single source of disturbance, aligning with the perspective of the EIA process. By contrast, PBR necessarily adopts a population-centred perspective and is therefore only relevant when considering all sources of mortality that jointly affect a population. Furthermore, robust utilization of the PBR approach requires the definition of quantitative conservation objectives and the implementation of a comprehensive management strategy evaluation, neither of which is ever undertaken within the context of an EIA.

PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SPECIES RUSCUS ACULEATUS L. ADAPTED TO THE CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF THE SOUTH-WESTAREA OF THE OLTENIA REGION-ROMANIA

Ruscus aculeatus L. is a protected species represented by significant populations in the the southwest area of the Oltenia region.The studies carried out in Mehedinti County, within the forests of Corcova locality, were conducted between July and September 2023, during a period characterised by minimal precipitation. In these conditions, Ruscus aculeatus plants were notably unaffected, with chlorophyll levels remaining relatively stable.The values of photosynthesis intensity remained constant during the determinations and were not influenced by the water regime. While these values may be considered low compared to other species, they are correlated with stomatal conductance and transpiration intensity.Despite the general intolerance of most shade plants to dry soil, Ruscus aculeatus demonstrates an exceptional ability to adapt to both shade conditions and severe drought.

Incorporating Bioclimatic Zones into Informing Ecological Networks for Better Biodiversity Conservation

Building ecological networks can effectively enhance the quality and stability of ecosystems and better conserve biodiversity. Previous studies mainly determined ecological corridors based on selecting ecological sources at a regional scale (e.g., an administrative area), without considering the bioclimatic heterogeneity within the study area. Here, we propose a novel integrating approach involving bioclimatic zoning and selecting ecological sources from various bioclimatic zones to design ecological corridors. Taking Xi’an City, China, as an example, key bioclimatic variables were first chosen, and we partitioned the study area based on its bioclimatic characteristics through a combination of K-means clustering and variance inflation factor (VIF). Ecological sources were then identified from the combination of ecosystem services and habitats of 36 endangered species. Subsequently, the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model was used to build ecological networks within different bioclimatic zones and across the entire region. We found the following: (1) In Xi’an city, a total of 49 source areas and 117 corridors were identified. The identified network can protect 97.77% of species, facilitating connectivity between 30.50% of ecosystems and 35.5% of species-rich areas. (2) The integrating approach protects 12.26% more species richness and 10.95% more ecosystem services than the average value of the regional and bioregional approaches. Compared to regional and bioregional methods, integrating approaches demonstrate greater advantages in preserving species richness and ecosystem services. This study introduces a novel approach to constructing regional ecological networks, which integrates the impact of bioclimatic zoning into the process of network construction to improve ecosystem services and protect species habitats.

Recognizing topological attributes and spatiotemporal patterns in spotted seals (Phoca largha) trophic networks based on eDNA metabarcoding

Spotted seals, a protected species, face multifaceted threats to their habitat, which in turn impact the closely associated trophic networks. These threats will lead to irreversible structural variations within the ecosystem. Therefore, investigating the topological variability of trophic networks in spotted seals is important. Applying environmental DNA methods, field sample collection was conducted in 2021 during both the sea fishing moratorium period and the fishing period to decode fish diversity. Assessing the current status of fish resources by using the multivariate statistics approach. Applying dietary information establishes the spotted seals’ trophic network. Selecting 12 network indexes to analyze the spatiotemporal patterns of network topological attributes. As a result, about 51 families, and 76 genera species were identified. During the sea fishing moratorium and the fishing period, there are 12 and 18 different food resources available for spotted seals, respectively. The diversity index revealed that the FP had greater species richness and diversity than the SP. Comparatively, the Fishing period exhibited higher species richness and biodiversity, likely influenced by habitat heterogeneity and anthropogenic activities. Additionally, the topological features of networks reflected the high clustering coefficients (CC=0.35) and the proportion of omnivorous species (O≈60%), indicating that the network structure in this region tends to form higher trophic-level clustering patterns, which facilitate the formation of weaker interactions between clusters, enhancing the robustness of the network. The higher connectivity complexity index during the fishing period (SC=12.3) supported that the spotted seal’s trophic network was relatively more stable in this period. Thus, during the fishing period, it is crucial to pay more attention to the intensity of human fishing on mid-to-high trophic-level omnivorous fish resources to ensure the sustainability of these potential food resources for spotted seals. This comprehensive study achieved three key objectives: (a) utilizing eDNA to characterize fish diversity during distinct periods, (b) establishing trophic networks of spotted seals, and (c) discerning topological attributes and spatiotemporal patterns within the ecological network. Overall, this study can provide technical and data support for integrated ecological network management and propose suggestions for protecting and recovering spotted seals.

Improving Agri-environmental Schemes: Suggestions from Farmers and Nature Managers in a Central European Region

Agri-environmental schemes (AES) are important policy instruments within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union for environmental protection. Due to the voluntary nature of AES, their attractiveness to farmers and stakeholders involved in nature management and protection (nature managers) is essential for high participation levels. This study aims to assess farmers’ and nature managers’ ideas to improve agri-environmental schemes. We analyzed suggestions of 825 farmers and 118 nature managers for improvements of AES collected in a large-scale survey in Bavaria, Germany. A content analysis was applied to categorize and compare suggestions by farmers (differentiated into two groups through a cluster analysis) and nature managers. The results reveal that stakeholders were highly willing to share ideas and made detailed suggestions for improvements and individual measures. They were aware of the importance of protecting nature and promoting biodiversity in agricultural landscapes and acknowledged the necessity of (financial) support programs. Farmers placed more emphasis on the practicability and profitability of measures on arable land, while nature managers tended to propose policy-related ideas focusing on nature protection, biodiversity, and specific species. Among farmers, suggestions differed with farm characteristics such as the operation mode (full-time, part-time). These findings can support the design of future AES, accounting for different background situations and thereby increasing acceptability. This includes considering perspectives from different stakeholder groups and creating regionally adapted programs with varying levels of flexibility and practicability.

An ecological survey of Laro-limicolae in Northeastern Algeria

We conducted an inventory and characterization of Laro-limicolae settlement at three Ramsar sites located in Eastern Numidia (Lake Tonga, Lake Oubeira and El Mellah lagoon) between 2014 and 2016. We identified 27 species belonging to six families, dominated by Scolopacidae (10 sp.) and Laridae (9 sp.) followed by Charadriidae (4 sp.), Recurvirostridae (2 sp.) and for Glareolidae and Haematopodidae families (1 sp.) Inventoried species exhibited different phenological status: resident (26%), wintering (44%), migratory breeders (19%) and wintering/breeding (11%). Population analysis showed the presence of protected species such as black-tailed godwit and Northern lapwing. Bird counts showed monthly variations in total abundance and richness, peaking during winter. Highest numbers were recorded in January and lowest numbers in August. Analysis of diversity and equitability indices indicated that maximum values (H’ = 3.01 and E = 0.94) were noted at El Mellah lagoon in November and at Lake Oubeira in June. Our study provides recent and unpublished data on a group of birds that are little-documented for North Africa, particularly for Algeria. Our findings open the way for further, more detailed work on the subject, and may serve to develop action plans for the management and conservation of these bird populations and their habitats.

Bird diversity in Aketajawe Lolobata National Park

Research on richness and bird species diversity are important for conservation efforts in National Park. Currently, the Aketajawe Lolobata National Park (ALNP) is a habitat patch among industrial areas on Halmahera Island, so that it is important to carry out periodic bird inventories in the national park. Therefore, the need to study the current bird diversity and the status of bird species as a basis for future monitoring and implementation of appropriate conservation measures are important. Bird diversity research needs to be carried out because. Observation plots are placed at primary and secondary forest in Akejawi resort. The research was conducted on January to February 2022. Total observation point is 20 plots. The method was used by point count. The distance between the observation plot is 200 m and the radius of observation is 50 m. The observation were made in the morning (06.00-09.00 am). Repetition of observation on each habitat was carried out 10 times. Data were analyzed by using Shannon-Wiener Index Diversity. Based on findings, There were 345 individuals of 39 species from 19 families inhabited Akejawi Resort. Secondary forest had the highest diversity index when compared to primary forest. This study revealed that there were 9 birds originated from North Maluku and there were 15 species categorized as protected species. The latest data can provide opportunities for further research to reveal patterns of bird distribution and various protection measures due to the loss of forest areas around national parks.