Protection Of Rare Species Research Articles

Болота северной Евразии: биосферные функции, разнообразие и управление (Петрозаводск, 25–28 сентября 2023 г.)

International Symposium “Mires of Northern Eurasia: Biosphere functions, diversity and management”, held on September 25–28, 2023 in Petrozavodsk, continued the traditions of the previous symposums organized by Karelian specialists in 2005 and 2015. Totally 101 participants from 21 regions of Russia and Belarus attended the Symposium. They represented 42 organizations: Universities and Research Institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences, environmental organizations, Nature reserves and industrial enterprises. 86 scientists arrived to Petrozavodsk, 9 specialists presented online reports. During the two days of the Symposium, 6 plenary and 56 sectional oral presentations and 28 posters were presented. Six plenary presentations were devoted to the history of mire research in different regions, the diversity of types of mires and mire vegetation, the history of climate and vegetation dynamics in the Holocene, the importance of mires in the exchange of greenhouse gases and the development of modern methodological approaches to the study of mire dynamics. The most extensive section called “Diversity, structure, dynamics and functioning of mire ecosystems” contained 32 oral presentations. The issues of the typology of mire massifs of different regions of Russia, diversity and originality of mire plant communities, their dynamics, geographical distribution of mires, and conservation value of mire communities were highlighted. Such classical studies continue the traditions of the Russian and Soviet geobotanical school and provide a new level of insight into mire ecosystems and form the basis for solving such current problems as assessment of climate change, carbon balance, protection of rare species. The traditional part of the mire conferences are the presentations devoted to paleoecology, based on the results of analysis of the peat deposit structure, were. Within the section “Mires and climate in the Holocene, Paleoecology” 15 oral presentations were devoted to the impact of climate change to the Holocene vegetation, the frequency of natural fires that have left traces in the peat sediments, reconstruction of vegetation successions on mires and their connections with archaeological research of the Middle Ages. Separately, a wide range of methods used by paleo ecologists was noted. Along them together with traditional spore-pollen analysis and analysis of plant macrofossils, some modern methods of analyzing arthropods and mollusks and testate amoebas were used. At the section entitled “Research methods, management of mire ecosystems and their restoration” nine reports were presented, covering such topics as the influence of cranberry pickers’ on the mire vegetation, remote sensing methods used for monitoring plant successions and typology of mire ecosystems, the growth of sphagnum mosses as an indicator of activity of ultraviolet, and thermal analysis of organic matter of peat soils. Twenty eight posters were exhibited at the poster session, their topics mostly repeated such of sectional presentations, but were more specific. The works of young scientists and students were presented there. The youngest participant of the session and the entire Symposium was a student of the Lomonosov Lyceum from Arkhangelsk, who presented a poster on the features of cranberries cultivated in the White Sea region. An important part of the symposium were field trips. During two days participants were able to visit two remarkable sites in the southern part of Karelia. Small eutrophic fens near the village of Kolatselga (150 km west of Petrozavodsk) had a specific floristic composition. In 1942–43, two Finnish botanists have described these mires. Their publication provided an excellent comparative data for the further researchers. The participants of the Symposium visited four of these fens and assessed their current state. Another object of excursion were the mires of the Kivach Nature Reserve situated 80 km north from Petrozavodsk. The Reserve is a popular tourist attraction for visiting the Kivach Waterfall on the Suna River. However, the local nature is quite rich, diverse and picturesque, so the reserve serves as a traditional place for environmental research in Karelia. Local mires are also well studied; the participants of the Symposium visited some of them. Video broadcasts of the symposium sessions are available on Youtube channel of the Karelian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a collection of abstracts has been published (Mires…, 2023).

An Interplay of Light and Smoke Compounds in Photoblastic Seeds.

Light increases the germinability of positively photoblastic seeds and inhibits the germination of negative ones. In an area where plant-generated smoke from fire is a periodically occurring environmental factor, smoke chemicals can affect the germination of seeds, including those that are photoblastically sensitive. Moreover, as smoke and its compounds, mostly karrikin 1, KAR1, have been used for priming the seeds of many species, including photoblastic ones, a systematic review of papers dealing with the phenomenon was conducted. The review indicates that the unification of experimental treatments (light spectrum, intensity and photoperiod, and KAR1 concentration within the species) could improve the quality of global research on the impact of smoke chemicals on photoblastic seeds, also at the molecular level. The review also reveals that the physiologically active concentration of KAR1 varies in different species. Moreover, the physiological window of KAR’s impact on germination can be narrow due to different depths of primary seed dormancy. Another concern is the mode of action of different smoke sources and formulations (aerosol smoke, smoke-saturated water), or pure smoke chemicals. The reason for this concern is the additive or synergetic effect of KARs, cyanohydrins, nitrates and other compounds, and the presence of a germination inhibitor, trimethylbutenolide (TMB) in smoke and its formulations. Obviously, environmental factors that are characteristic of the local environment need to be considered. From a practical perspective, seeds germinating faster in response to smoke chemicals can outcompete other seeds. Hence, a thorough understanding of this phenomenon can be useful in the restoration of plant habitats and the protection of rare species, as well as yielding an improvement in plants that are sown directly to the field. On the other hand, the application of smoke compounds can induce “suicidal germination” in the photoblastic seeds that are buried in the soil and deplete the soil seed bank of the local population of unwanted species.

AN EFFECTIVE DEEP LEARNING MODEL FOR RECOGNITION OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS

This paper presents a deep learning model to address the problem of recognition of animals and plants. The context of this work is to make an effort in protection of rare species that are seriously faced to the risk of extinction in Vietnam such as Panthera pardus, Dalbergia cochinchinensis, Macaca mulatta. The proposed approach exploits the advanced learning ability of convolutional neural networks and Inception residual structures to design a lightweight model for classification task. We also apply the transfer learning technique to fine-tune the two state-of-the-art methods, MobileNetV2 and InceptionV3, specific to our own dataset. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of our object predictor (e.g., 95.8% accuracy) in comparison with other methods. In addition, the proposed model works very efficiently with the inference speed of around 113 FPS on a CPU machine, enabling it for deployment on mobile environment.

Modeling opportunistic exploitation: increased extinction risk when targeting more than one species

Extinction rates are increasing globally, and direct exploitation is an important driver. Many pathways have been proposed to explain how exploitation can lead to extinction. One of these proposed but understudied multispecies pathways is opportunistic exploitation, which occurs when a highly valuable but rare species is encountered and targeted during exploitation of a less valuable, but more common, target species. Using individual-based simulations of exploiters in a two-species spatial model, we contribute evidence which supports that opportunistic exploitation increases depletion when compared to single-species exploitation, and is as detrimental to the more valuable, rare species as the anthropogenic Allee effect (where price increases with rarity) and the Allee effect (where population growth declines at low abundance). The most important factors affecting the impact of opportunistic exploitation are gross revenue and abundance of the more common, less valuable species, while ease of capture and growth rate of the more common, less valuable species are less important. Thus, valuable but rare species are most at risk when harvested alongside low-value abundant species; this information is relevant for managers focused on protection of rare species in multispecies systems.

Scientific and Ethical Considerations in Rare Species Protection: The Case of Beavers in Connecticut

Scientific and Ethical Considerations in Rare Species Protection: The Case of Beavers in Connecticut

Forensic identification of the keratin fibers of South American camelids by ambient ionization mass spectrometry: Vicuña, alpaca and guanaco.

The keratin fleece of the endangered vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) commands a high value in international markets, and this trade has caused illegal poaching and a substantial decrease in vicuña populations. Morphological analysis of hairs does not have the resolution to determine the species of origin of camelid natural fibers. In addition, commerce in camelid fleece also includes the legal trade of alpaca (Vicugna pacos) and guanaco (Lama guanicoe) wool. The keratin fiber spectra of vicuña (n = 19), guanaco (n = 20) and alpaca (n = 20) were collected using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry, Horizontal attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (HATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and direct analysis in real time time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DART-TOFMS). Analysis with each technique evaluated the data to determine if the three taxa could be separated using either descriptive or multivariate statistics. XRF analysis showed that the elements detected and their relative concentrations were similar in all three species, whereas HATR-FTIR analysis could identify alpaca fleece but could not differentiate vicuña from guanaco. Ions detected by ambient ionization using DART-TOFMS, in either positive- or negative-ion mode, gave the best results and showed that each taxonomic group is distinctive. Multivariate analysis of the mass spectra created robust models which resolved each species (LOOCV = 99.9%). The analyses of eight validation samples were correctly assigned to the appropriate species and demonstrated the reliability of DART-TOFMS to infer taxonomic source. The DART-TOFMS spectra of unmodified keratin fibers infer that the chemotype of each species is heavily influenced by fatty acids, cholesterol and its analogs, and that these ions are useful in separating the fleece of vicuña, alpaca and guanaco. We posit that the etiological source of these chemotype differences is consistent with genetic modulations and is less influenced by diet. Accurate taxonomic identification of fleece is important to identify violations and assists in the protection of rare species.

Using UAV technology for basic data collection of Firmiana danxiaensis H. H. Hsue & H. S. Kiu, J. S. (Malvaceae), an important, nationally protected wild plant in Zhanglao Peak, Danxiashan Mountain, South China

The protection of rare species is an urgent task for all of mankind, however this task is challenging because it is usually difficult to determine their numbers and spatial distribution. Firmiana danxiaensis H. H. Hsue & H. S. Kiu, J. S. (Malvaceae), which is listed at the highest grade of critically endangered (CR) plants in the first volume of “The China Species Red List,” can be found at Danxiashan Mountain, one of the six World Nature Heritage sites of China Danxia, in Northern Guangdong Province, China. At present, UAV low-altitude photogrammetry technology can complete and produce orthophoto maps of 1:2000 resolution and high-precision DEM data, and has a high application value in the collection and research of rare species’ basic data. For this study, UAV technology was used especially for mapping, quantifying and monitoring plant species. F. danxiaensis is a good fit for automated identification from UAV imagery due to its leaf coloration making it stand out during the end of October. A fixed-wing UAV was used to aerially survey the Zhanglao Peak Tourist Area of Danxiashan Mountain (the aerial survey area is 4.25 km2) and the valleys and cliffs where it is difficult to conduct field surveys. 638 high-precision image data were obtained. Photoscan software was used to produce mosaic image data, an orthophoto map, and DEM data. Analyses of the targets’ locations and data visualizations were done with Arc GIS 10.5 software. 1,515 individuals of F. danxiaensis have been found in the aerial survey area. The results suggest that the red line boundary of ecological protection should be delineated in the densely distributed areas of F. danxiaensis, and scientific research plans should be formulated to protect the rare species and their natural environment so as to ensure sustainable development and utilization for human beings.

A potential role for rare species in ecosystem dynamics

The ecological importance of common species for many ecosystem processes and functions is unquestionably due to their high abundance. Yet, the importance of rare species is much less understood. Here we take a theoretical approach, exposing dynamical models of ecological networks to small perturbations, to explore the dynamical importance of rare and common species. We find that both species types contribute to the recovery of communities following generic perturbations (i.e. perturbations affecting all species). Yet, when perturbations are selective (i.e. affects only one species), perturbations to rare species have the most pronounced effect on community stability. We show that this is due to the strong indirect effects induced by perturbations to rare species. Because indirect effects typically set in at longer timescales, our results indicate that the importance of rare species may be easily overlooked and thus underrated. Hence, our study provides a potential ecological motive for the management and protection of rare species.

Моделювання інтродукційних популяцій як метод охорони рідкісних видів рослин ex situ

Моделювання інтродукційних популяцій як метод охорони рідкісних видів рослин <i>ex situ</i>

Некоторые вопросы охраны редких видов растений и растительных сообществ в черте города Стерлитамака

Некоторые вопросы охраны редких видов растений и растительных сообществ в черте города Стерлитамака

К вопросу о развитии устойчивого автотуризма в России

The article describes the basic principles of sustainable development of auto tourism in Russia. The authors provide an analysis of the basic principles and types of sustainable development of caravanning and a formalized model of rational needs of sustainable development for a caravanning destination. The basic resources needed for sustainable development such destinations: efficient use of resources through re-use and management of savings with the use of modern innovative technical and technological solutions; maintaining the existing biodiversity in the destination through the protection and restoration of the natural heritage, protection of rare species of wild fauna and flora, restrictions on activities in trailering, reculturing territories, creating protected areas, etc; involvement of local communities in the territory of the decision-making process for trailering development; conducting responsible marketing for trailering to minimize pressure on the ecosystem at the maximum beneficial effects of tourism on destinations and on the regional economy due to uniform distribution of autotourists’ flows’ in time and space.

Effects of acquiring FSC forest management certification for Japanese enterprises using SmartWood Audits

We explore the organizational, environmental, and economic effects of sustainable forest management (FM) certification by Smart-Wood (SW), one of the certification bodies accredited by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) to carry out certification in Japan. We closely investigated three enterprises: the Yusuhara Forest Owners’ Cooperative, Yamanashi Prefectural Forest, and Ryujin-mura Forest Owners’ Cooperative. Interviews with representatives of these entities provided crucial empirical information regarding the influence of certification on environmental assessment, rare-species protection, landscape-management planning, management objectives, and forest supervision. Attainment of FM status improved environmental awareness and engendered positive changes in assessing and managing forests and other natural resources but simultaneously imposed heavier economic costs.

Редкие виды во флоре мхов полуострова Камчатка (Дальний Восток)

The moss flora of Kamchatka Peninsula includes 205 rare species (40% of total moss flora). An analysis of habitat distribution of rare species is provided, causes of rarity are discussed, and corresponding groups of rare species are distinguished. Problems of the rare species protection are discussed.

The Vascular Flora of the Coon Creek Forever Wild Tract, Tallapoosa County, Alabama

The Coon Creek Forever Wild Tract (CCFWT) is an area of approximately 130 ha that was purchased by the State of Alabama Forever Wild Program on February 1, 1995. The CCFWT lies 45 km west of Auburn, AL with the main tributary, Coon Creek, dissecting the tract and eventually emptying into the Tallapoosa River. The site is managed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources with an emphasis on recreational use, habitat management, and rare species protection. A floristic study of this area was conducted from March 2006 through May 2007. A total of 503 species from 319 genera and 114 families were collected, with 195 species being county records. Asteraceae was the largest family with 74 species. Poaceae, Cyperaceae, and Fabaceae were the next largest families with 45, 31, and 31 species, respectively. Carex was the largest genus represented with 15 taxa.

Common species have lower taxonomic diversity Evidence from the urban floras of Brussels and Rome

ABSTRACTThe species pool hypothesis claims that the large‐scale regional species pool is the chief parameter in determining small‐scale species richness through filtering of species that can persist within a community on the basis of their tolerance of the abiotic environment. Accordingly, different environmental conditions give rise to different species assemblages. From a taxonomic perspective, under the assumption of trait conservatism, co‐occurring species that experience similar environmental conditions are likely to be more taxonomically similar than ecologically distant species. The next step consists in understanding how commonness and rarity of individual species produce the observed taxonomic diversity. In this paper, the importance of environmental filtering in regulating the taxonomic structure of rare and common plant species in the urban floras of Brussels (Belgium) and Rome (Italy) is tested. First, we computed the taxonomic diversity of the rare and common species of Brussels and Rome based on the branching topology of the Linnaean taxonomic trees. Next, using a randomization procedure, we determined whether the taxonomic diversity of the rare species was significantly higher than the diversity of the common species. Results show that, for both urban floras, common species that shape the community matrix and experience similar environmental conditions have a taxonomic diversity that is significantly lower than that of the rare species that represent a relatively incidental set of species of more ‘disperse’ origin. Finally, from a conservation/management perspective our results imply that, given their high taxonomic heterogeneity, the protection of rare species is a central issue for preserving high levels of diversity in urban areas.

On My Mind: The Ecological Explanation for the Environmental Crisis

On my mind: The Ecological Explanation for the Environmental Crisis Ryder W. Miller San Francisco, USA The environmental crisis requires our attention like it has never done before. The year 2004 was a breakthrough year where it was widely acknowledged that we need to be concerned about climate changes. Finally, even some of the critics are now convinced that it is real. Icebergs are adrift, the global air temperature has increased, and water levels are rising. Eight of the last ten years have been the hottest recorded in human history. Polar bears are drowning because the distances between ice islands have gotten too large. In some areas glaciers have disappeared. Simulation photographs in magazines show some of our major cities under water. Also, harmful non- indigenous species are replacing native species, the rain forest and rare habitat are being destroyed, pollution legislation is being de-fanged, and the environmental movement could not rally enough support in 2004 to replace George W. Bush. Out of necessity, the environmental movement needed to renew itself, to finds its way out of the rut it found itself in the aftermath of the 2004 election. The historical arguments and pronouncements of the environmental movement are still easy to understand and justify. The root causes of the environmental crisis can be explained by understanding roughly 20 ecological concepts. Environmentalism grew out of ecology and the preservation movement, which began by focusing on the protection of rare species and rare habitats. Ecology has blossomed into a science and a set of related concerns encapsulated by the term environmentalism. But one can find the root explanation of the environmental crisis by searching its ecological roots. Some of the biggest environmental (ecological) problems include global warming, pollution poisoning, extinction, harmful non- indigenous species, habitat destruction, and overpopulation. There are historical ecological concepts that explain what caused these problems. But first, what is ecology? Ecology among other things is a natural science. Ecology means a number of things to different people, but its scientific definition is the study of the interaction between organisms and their environment. It is also concerned with the study of the interaction between organisms. There are competition ecologists who study the competition within the same species and between different species. There are niche ecologists who study how specific organisms make their living in their environment. The science of ecology is also concerned with large environmental chemical processes like oxygen, nitrogen, and water cycles.

Recommendations for Integrating Restoration Ecology and Conservation Biology in Ponderosa Pine Forests of the Southwestern United States

Abstract Over the past century, ponderosa pine–dominated landscapes of the southwestern United States have been altered by human activities such as grazing, timber harvest, road building, and fire exclusion. Most forested areas within these landscapes now show increased susceptibility to stand‐replacing fires, insect outbreaks, and drought‐related mortality. Recent large wildfires in the region have spurred public interest in large‐scale fuel reduction and restoration programs, which create perceived and real conflicts with the conservation of biodiversity. Conservation concerns include the potential for larger road networks, soil and understory disturbance, exotic plant invasion, and the removal of large trees in treated areas. Pursuing prescribed burning, thinning, or other treatments on the broad scale that many scientists and managers envision requires the reconciliation of ecological restoration with biodiversity conservation. This study presents recommendations from a workshop for integrating the principles and practices of restoration ecology and conservation biology, toward the objective of restoring the composition, structure, and function of dry ponderosa pine forests. Planning on the scale of hundreds of thousands of hectares offers opportunities to achieve multiple objectives (e.g., rare species protection and restoration of ecological structures and processes) that cannot easily be addressed on a site‐by‐site basis. However, restoration must be coordinated with conservation planning to achieve mutual objectives and should include strict guidelines for protection of rare, declining, and sensitive habitats and species.

THE VASCULAR FLORA OF THE PIKE COUNTY POCOSIN NATURE PRESERVE, ALABAMA

The Pike County Pocosin Nature Preserve is located approximately 10 km east of Troy, Alabama, on the east side of Walnut Creek. The Preserve consists of 84 hectares of xeric sandy ridges interrupted by deep ravines. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources manages the site with an emphasis on the protection of rare species. The floristic survey was conducted from March 1999 through September 2000. A total of 348 taxa representing 247 genera and 97 families were found to occur or were reported from within the Nature Preserve. Poaceae represented the largest family with 43 species. Asteraceae and Fabaceae were the next largest families with 40 and 31 species, respectively. Quercus represented the largest genus with 12 taxa.

Short-rotation forestry: discussion of 10 Austrian principles from the viewpoint of preservation of environment and nature

The first part of this paper gives an overview of short-rotation forestry in Austria and the ecological research in Styrian short-rotation forests. In the following part the 10 principles for short-rotation forestry systems from the viewpoint of nature protection and environment are discussed. These were developed and defined by an interdisciplinary Austrian team of scientists (phytosociologists, landscape ecologists, experts on forestry, on nature protection and on area planning), which was charged with the responsibility by the Austrian Ministry for Science, Transport and Art. It is noted that there are close interdependences between many of the principles; for example, long rotations and the reduction of nutrient inputs, or use of mixed cultures and no utilisation of pesticides. For the aims of nature protection and protection of rare species, principle 1 (short-rotation forests should only be supported if the former utilisation has been intensive) assumes the most important position because the probability of the cultivation of short-rotation forests on former arable land seems to be very low.

Experience with pesticides and the theory of conservation

Experience in reducing pesticide hazards to wildlife has shown that the general public has a static and fragmented view of Nature, in which Man is not a part. It believes that conservation is a backward-looking activity that is mainly concerned with the protection of rare species. This indicates that conservationists should clarify their aims and be much more explicit about them; they should relate them to time. Conservation of diversity should be the primary aim of conservation; it is best achieved by conserving a wide range of habitats in nature reserves. Criteria for selecting species for special conservation measures are suggested. Conservation measures outside nature reserves are unlikely to succeed unless they coincide with some other interests. Conservation must be considered in relation to other human activities.