Conservation Science Research Articles

Non-Destructive Estimation of Paper Fiber Using Macro Images: A Comparative Evaluation of Network Architectures and Patch Sizes for Patch-Based Classification

Over the years, research in the field of cultural heritage preservation and document analysis has exponentially grown. In this study, we propose an advanced approach for non-destructive estimation of paper fibers using macro images. Expanding on studies that implemented EfficientNet-B0, we explore the effectiveness of six other deep learning networks, including DenseNet-201, DarkNet-53, Inception-v3, Xception, Inception-ResNet-v2, and NASNet-Large, in conjunction with enlarged patch sizes. We experimentally classified three types of paper fibers, namely, kozo, mitsumata, and gampi. During the experiments, patch sizes of 500, 750, and 1000 pixels were evaluated and their impact on classification accuracy was analyzed. The experiments demonstrated that Inception-ResNet-v2 with 1000-pixel patches achieved the highest patch classification accuracy of 82.7%, whereas Xception with 750-pixel patches exhibited the best macro-image-based fiber estimation performance at 84.9%. Additionally, we assessed the efficacy of the method for images containing text, observing consistent improvements in the case of larger patch sizes. However, limitations exist in background patch availability for text-heavy images. This comprehensive evaluation of network architectures and patch sizes can significantly advance the field of non-destructive paper analysis, offering valuable insights into future developments in historical document examination and conservation science.

Elevational patterns of species richness and phylogenetic diversity in a Mediterranean island

Understanding the abiotic factors influencing biodiversity patterns on Earth is a crucial task for conservation scientists. At the regional level, meso-climate factors, primarily associated with elevational gradients, are of great importance. However, disentangling these factors can be challenging due to the influence of other variables, such as geological substrata. To address this issue and better understand elevational gradients, it is essential to study geologically homogeneous terrains, particularly in Mediterranean islands where such research is lacking. In this study, we investigated the distribution of plant species richness along the elevational gradient of the Limbara massif, which consists predominantly of granite rocks and ranks as the third-highest peak in Sardinia at 1,359 meters a.s.l. We employed generalized linear models to analyze richness patterns, considering various factors, including all plant species, functional species groups categorized by Raunkiær life forms, chorological groups of species, alien species and phylogenetic diversity. Our findings revealed a hump-shaped model of species richness along the elevational gradient, with lower elevations exhibiting the highest species richness. Additionally, endemic species richness increased with higher elevations, while alien species were predominantly found at lower elevations. These results indicate that the Limbara massif possesses a significant elevational gradient in species composition, likely reflecting a unique plant evolutionary history. Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of published floras as valuable sources of biodiversity data for such studies.

Chemometric approaches for discriminating manufacturers of Korean handmade paper using infrared spectroscopy

The objective of this study was to identify the manufacturer of Hanji, Korean handmade paper widely used in conservation science. To achieve this, machine learning models utilizing attenuated total reflectance–infrared spectroscopy (ATR–IR) were developed to assess the robustness and effectiveness of the computed models. Principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares–discriminant analysis (PLS–DA), decision tree (DT), and k-NN models were constructed using IR spectral data, with the spectral region between 1800 and 1500 cm⁻1 identified as the critical input variable through Variable Importance in Projection (VIP) scores. The transformation of the obtained spectra into second derivative spectra proved beneficial in this key spectral region, leading to significant improvements in model performance. Additionally, the application of DBSCAN for outlier detection was effective in refining the dataset, further enhancing the performance of the models. Specifically, the k-NN model, when applied to the selected variables and preprocessed with the second derivative transformation, achieved an F1 score of 0.92. These findings underscore the importance of focusing on the 1800–1500 cm⁻1 spectral range and applying outlier detection techniques, such as DBSCAN, to enhance the robustness and accuracy of the Hanji classification models by eliminating the influence of atypical data points.

Accepting the decay of plastic artifacts in museums: pasts and futures surfacing in a life preserver from sunken MS Estonia

ABSTRACT This is a case study of a deformed life preserver originating from the ferryboat MS Estonia that sank in the Baltic Sea in 1994. In this post qualitatively positioned research article, I argue that transformed plastic is an active agent of both the decision-making and interpretation of a museum object made of plastic. This article contributes in a new way to the discussion of how museums of cultural history could manage deteriorating plastic objects. So far, a scientific materialist approach, guided by research in conservation science, has emphasised the need for special conditions to safeguard rapidly deteriorating plastic artefacts for future generations. However, the agency of deteriorating plastic does not only call for conserving the plastic material ‘forever’, but it also requires letting go of the ideal of minimising the further degradation of plastic.

Leveraging how animals learn in conservation science: Behavioral responses of reintroduced bison to management interventions

AbstractReintroduction programs have increased amid unprecedented biodiversity loss, yet the success of these programs lag. A prominent reason for program failure is dispersal beyond the planned range of the population. Management techniques, such as hazing, can be used to prevent movement beyond set boundaries, but to be effective long‐term, the animals must learn to avoid the areas where they are hazed. Although concepts of animal learning have been used to improve reintroduction programs, learning is not often explicitly tested or used as an indicator of program success. We used a conservation behavior framework to evaluate how a range of management techniques influenced learning in a reintroduced population of bison in Banff National Park, Canada. We hypothesized exposure to stronger negative stimuli would enhance learning, leading to more pronounced behavioral responses. Specifically, we tested the degree to which management actions (i.e., drift fence encounters, foot, horseback, helicopter, and combined hazing) elicited behavioral responses and how they facilitated learning. Consistent with our predictions, drift fence interactions and foot and horseback hazing elicited fewer behavioral responses of a smaller magnitude than helicopter hazing or combined methods, suggesting these techniques cause less disturbance to the bison. Bison continually returned to locations where they encountered management actions that caused the least disturbance, demonstrating a lack of associative learning. Bison appeared to form negative associations with locations where they were hazed via helicopter or combined methods, however, and rarely returned to these locations. Evaluating management techniques is essential for improving conservation success. We demonstrate that by bridging the fields of conservation biology and animal learning, we can understand how management techniques influence learning and behavior thereby facilitating effective conservation plans that incorporate disruption levels of the animals, financial costs, and overall effectiveness. Effective conservation plans, in turn, improve our likelihood of successfully managing and recovering species.

The potential for species distribution models to distinguish source populations from sinks.

While species distribution models (SDM) are frequently used to predict species occurrences to help inform conservation management, there is limited evidence evaluating whether habitat suitability can reliably predict intrinsic growth rates or distinguish source populations from sinks. Filling this knowledge gap is critical for conservation science, as applications of SDMs for management purposes ultimately depend on these typically unobserved population or metapopulation dynamics. Using linear regression, we associated previously published population level estimates of intrinsic growth and abundance derived from a Bayesian analysis of mark-recapture data for 17 bird species found in the contiguous United States with SDM habitat suitability estimates fitted here to opportunistic data for these same species. We then used the area under the ROC curve (AUC) to measure how well SDMs can distinguish populations categorized as sources and sinks. We built SDMs using two different approaches, boosted regression trees (BRT) and generalized linear models (GLM), and compared their source/sink predictive performance. Each SDM was built with presence points obtained from eBird (a web-available database) and 10 environmental variables previously selected to model intrinsic growth rates and abundance for these species. We show that SDMs built with opportunistic data are poor predictors of species demography in general; both BRT and GLM explained very little spatial variation of intrinsic growth rate and population abundance (median R2 across 17 species was close to 0.1 for both SDM methods). SDMs, however, estimated higher suitability for source populations as compared to sinks. Out of 13 species which had both source and sink populations, both BRT and GLM had AUC values greater than 0.7 for 7 species when discriminating between sources and sinks. Habitat suitability have the potential to be a useful measure to indicate a population's ability to sustain itself as a source population; however more research on a diverse set of taxa is essential to fully explore this potential. This interpretation of habitat suitability can be particularly useful for conservation practice, and identification of explicit cases of when and how SDMs fail to match population demography can be informative for advancing ecological theory.

Global Metrics for Terrestrial Biodiversity

Biodiversity metrics are increasingly in demand for informing government, business, and civil society decisions. However, it is not always clear to end users how these metrics differ or for what purpose they are best suited. We seek to answer these questions using a database of 573 biodiversity-related metrics, indicators, indices, and layers, which address aspects of genetic diversity, species, and ecosystems. We provide examples of indicators and their uses within the state–pressure–response–benefits framework that is widely used in conservation science. Considering complementarity across this framework, we recommend a small number of metrics considered most pertinent for use in decision-making by governments and businesses. We conclude by highlighting five future directions: increasing the importance of national metrics, ensuring wider uptake of business metrics, agreeing on a minimum set of metrics for government and business use, automating metric calculation through use of technology, and generating sustainable funding for metric production.

Shifting Power in Practice: Implementing Relational Research and Evaluation in Conservation Science

Shifting Power in Practice: Implementing Relational Research and Evaluation in Conservation Science

Multidimensional Exploration of Wood Extractives: A Review of Compositional Analysis, Decay Resistance, Light Stability, and Staining Applications

Extractives, which naturally evolve as fundamental defense mechanisms in wood against environmental stresses, hold an essential place in the field of wood conservation science. Despite their low content in woody substrates, extractives are chemically complex and can be extracted accurately by solvents with different polarities, covering key components such as aliphatic, terpenoid, and phenolic compounds. The application of solvent extraction allows for the effective recovery of these extracts from forestry waste, thereby creating new opportunities for their reuse in wood modification and enhancing the economic value and potential applications of forestry waste. In the wood industry, extractives not only act as efficient preservatives and photo-stabilizers, significantly improving the decay resistance and photodegradation resistance of wood, but also serve as ideal dyes for fast-growing wood due to their abundant natural colors, which lend the product a distinct aesthetic appeal. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the origin and distribution characteristics of wood extractives and to examine the impact of solvent selection on extraction efficiency. At the same time, the mechanism of extractives in enhancing wood decay resistance and slowing down photodegradation is deeply analyzed. In addition, specific examples are presented to illustrate their wide utilization in the wood industry. This is intended to provide references for research and practice in related fields.

Study on the spatial distribution characteristics of traditional villages and their response to the water network system in the lower yangtze river basin

Traditional villages hold significant historical and cultural value as the precious heritage of China’s agricultural civilization. Currently, against the backdrop of increasing urbanization and rapid expansion of urban construction land, the spatial patterns of traditional villages across various regions in China are being encroached upon and damaged, with protection pressures growing daily. As one of the important cradles of Chinese civilization, the Lower Yangtze River Basin (LYRB) has traditional villages closely linked with its water systems, forming a unique human-land relationship and spatial distribution pattern. However, influenced by the rapid urbanization process, the spatial patterns of traditional villages in this region also face a crisis, and the contradiction between protection and development is becoming increasingly prominent. How to balance this contradiction and ensure the reasonable protection and sustainable development of traditional villages has become an urgent issue to address. Therefore, this study focuses on the LYRB. Using ArcGIS tools and combined with mathematical analysis methods, the spatial distribution characteristics and essential influencing factors of traditional villages in this area were screened and analyzed. The objective was to examine the spatial structural relationship between traditional villages, four water system types, and nine sub-basin units, intending to reveal the unique interdependence between the water system and traditional villages in this area. This would provide scientific support for the formulation of scientific conservation strategies. The research results show that: (1) Traditional villages in The LYRB form two core clusters spatially and exhibit substantial spatial accumulation; (2) Water system characteristics are the main factors affecting the distribution of traditional villages; (3) In the LYRB, the spatial distribution of the nine sub-basins is closely related to the spatial distribution of traditional villages, resulting in typical regional spatial differentiation of traditional villages in this area. This study is based on a watershed perspective, and the results highlight the importance of the water system network in the development of traditional villages, revealing a unique spatial dependency relationship between traditional villages and the water network in the LYRB. In order to ensure the comprehensive protection of the traditional village system in this region, it is essential to adhere to the fundamental principles that govern its spatial configuration. A tripartite collaborative protection system based on the watershed should be formulated from the perspective of the overall distribution relationship between the water network and the traditional villages. This system would serve to protect the overall landscape, the water network pattern, and the traditional villages. Establishing an overall pattern view of integrating the water system network and the traditional villages is essential.

Enhancing Networking and Linking Communities for the Conservation Practices of Natural History Collections

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake revealed that one of the reasons for the lack of effective and timely action to rescue and restore natural history collections is that the organizational laws and policies are insufficient and inapplicable under extreme circumstances. Laws and policies for collections are primarily concerned with designation and registration, preservation and management, financial assistance, government involvement and public awareness. The Cultural Property Protection System and the Act on Cultural Properties Preservation prioritized the rescue and restoration of cultural assets, both nationally and regionally, however, attention to the state of natural history collections was delayed and was primarily fueled by volunteers (Mawatari 2015). Earlier in the Meiji era (1868~1912), national emphasis on cultural assets, represented by Japanese art, contributed to the formation and spread of nationalism (Kanayama 2011). Consequently, the laws and policies in question were enacted, focusing on attaching importance to and preservervation of cultural assets. After a few attempts at national discussion on whether science specimens (in natural history collections) should be covered by the law, the problem remain unsolved. In the few cases, where natural history collections were designated by the law, the focus tended to be centered on the value to humanity. It is clear from the laws and policies that decision-makers lack an understanding of the importance of natural history collections. Further narrowing down the scope, operational rules and regulations are often based on the handling and practices of cultural history objects within the public museums, and descriptions of natural history collections are lacking in many practice guidelines for museums and textbooks on museum studies. Other than the need for better law and policy, the 2011 disaster has also left curators of natural history collections with a renewed sense of the importance of establishing theories on conservation science and other practice standards for natural history collections through networking and cooperation, not only under extreme circumstances but also for daily management and practical utility. However, the current lack of curators with expertise in natural history collections, the few chances to participate in skill-share programs, and insufficient financial and official support for pioneering research, remain challenging. To address this, it may be possible to propose methodologies and gather individuals with similar interests to deepen the debate on the importance of research and establishment of standards to give curators more chances, support and recognition to carry on conservation science research. Therefore, increasing connections within the natural history museum community is a feasible step to take in the near term. There are some actions in progress such as cross-museum collaboration to establish research projects and the skill-share projects organized by the Natural History Museum Network of Western Japan. What about the non-natural history museums and natural history collections with few or without specialized curators? The natural history curator community in Japan is small. In 2020, there were 228 museums in Japan holding biological specimens (geological and paleontology specimens were not counted in the research), fewer than half of which were assigned to natural history curators. In the natural history museums, the average number of natural history curators was 2.49; that of science museums, history museums and regional museums was less than 1, indicating that the natural history curator community is a minority in the museum sector of Japan (Fig. 1, Japanese Association of Museums 1986). Even those where there were assignments of natural history curators, the curators' specialized field may not be a perfect match with the collections, ending up with cases such as a curator of entomology having to take care of botanical specimens. In some regions, in 2020, there were only one or two natural history curators, indicating the unevenness in curator assignments across regions of Japan (Fig. 2, Japanese Association of Museums 1986). This makes it even harder to find other curators who can help when encountering problems beyond one’s expertise. All of this underlines the importance of creating a strong national network of natural history museum curators to share experiences, expertise, methodologies, and standards of care.

Governance and degradation of soil in the EU. An overview of policies with a focus on soil erosion

Healthy soils provide critical ecosystem services, addressing modern societal challenges such as human health safeguarding, food security, climate change adaptation, etc. Unfortunately, 60–70 % of soils in the European Union (EU) are in an unhealthy state, due to various natural and socio-economic factors. Degradation is the most severe threat, impairing soil quality, hindering the full delivery of its functions, jeopardizing its productivity, and constituting a monetary hazard. This is why the European Commission (EC) has put soil health at the epicenter of several EU policies, in different, yet inter-connected domains (e.g., agriculture, climate, etc.). Soil governance has gained increasing interest over the years, with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the European Green Deal (EGD) being frontrunners in the attempt to achieve climatic neutrality, zero pollution, and sustainable food provision. These times call for a holistic revision of our production systems, consumption patterns, and the management of soil. However, a significant gap between soil conservation science and practice raises concerns about the effectiveness of soil-related policies. With a focus on soil erosion, this review provides an overview of such policies and how they promote soil restoration and preservation, underlining in parallel the importance of public awareness and participatory engagement in achieving their objectives.

Moving beyond simplistic representations of land use in conservation

AbstractLand use is both a major cause of the biodiversity crises and a potential solution to it. Decisions about land use are made in complex social–ecological systems, yet conservation research, policy, and practice often neglect the diverse and dynamic nature of land use. A deeper integration of land system science and conservation science provides major opportunities in this context, through a transfer of concepts, data, and methodologies. Specifically, a closer exchange between land‐use data developers and users will enable common terminology and better data use, allowing to move beyond coarse land‐cover representations of land use. Similarly, archetyping and regionalization approaches can help to embrace, rather than oversimplify, the diversity of land‐use actors and practices. Finally, systematically linking land‐use actors to portfolios of pressures on biodiversity, beyond their direct impact on habitat, can better represent and map co‐occurring and interacting threats. Together, this will enable conservation policymakers and planners to recognize the often‐complex and wicked nature of conservation challenges related to land, allowing for more context‐specific conservation policymaking and planning, and more targeted conservation interventions.

Understanding author choices in the current conservation publishing landscape.

Conservation literature addresses a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary questions and benefits. Conservation science benefits most when a diverse range of authors are represented, particularly those from countries where much conservation work is focused. In other disciplines, it is well known that barriers and biases exist in the academic publishing sphere, which can affect research dissemination and an author's career development. We used a discrete choice experiment to determine how 7 journal attributes affect authors' choices of where to publish in conservation. We targeted authors directly by contacting authors published in 18 target journals and indirectly via communication channels for conservation organizations. We only included respondents who had previously published in a conservation-related journal. We used a multinomial logit model and a latent class model to investigate preferences for all respondents and distinct subpopulations. We identified 3 demographic groups across 1038 respondents (older authors from predominantly middle-income countries, younger authors from predominantly middle-income countries, and younger authors from high-income countries) who had published in conservation journals. Each group exhibited different publishing preferences. Only 2 attributes showed a consistent response across groups: cost to publish negatively affected journal choice, including authors in high-income countries, and authors had a consistent preference for double-blind review. Authors from middle-income countries were willing to pay more for society-owned journals, unlike authors from high-income countries. Journals with a broad geographical scope that were open access and that had relatively high impact factors were preferred by 2 of the 3 demographic groups. However, journal scope and open access were more important in dictating journal choice than impact factor. Overall, different demographics had different preferences for journals and were limited in their selection based on attributes such as open access policy. However, the scarcity of respondents from low-income countries (2% of respondents) highlights the pervasive barriers to representation in conservation research. We recommend journals offer double-blind review, reduce or remove open access fees, investigate options for free editorial support, and better acknowledge the value of local-scale single-species studies. Academic societies in particular must reflect on how their journals support conservation and conservation professionals.

A Guide to Environmental DNA Extractions for Non‐Molecular Trained Biologists, Ecologists, and Conservation Scientists

ABSTRACTEcologists, biologists, and conservation scientists are increasingly interested in the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) data for research and potentially decision‐making. While commercial DNA extraction kits are typically user‐friendly and accessible, they may fail to deliver the desired results with inherently complex eDNA samples, necessitating protocol optimization or educated selection of alternative approaches. To this end, knowledge of the basic steps and principles of DNA extractions is essential, but traditional education tracks in ecology, conservation, and environmental management typically do not include in‐depth training in molecular methods. The primary objective of this paper is to enable scientists with an ecological background and limited molecular training to understand the four key steps of eDNA isolations, and to use this expertise to their advantage. We describe the purpose of commonly used reagents and chemicals, point out alternatives for each key step, explain the impact of certain choices regarding isolation approaches on DNA integrity and purity, and highlight the possibility of a tailor‐made “mix and match” approach. We anticipate that this paper will enable field ecologists to develop a deeper understanding of the mechanisms and chemistry underlying eDNA extractions, thus allowing them to make informed decisions regarding the best eDNA extraction method for their research goals. Our intention is not to provide comprehensive, step‐by‐step protocols, but to offer guiding principles while highlighting alternative solutions. Finally, we hope that this paper will act as a useful resource to support knowledge transfer and teaching.

Blues from Tikuna/Magüta Masks and a Still Unknown Blue Colorant in Technical Art History and Conservation Science

Blues from Tikuna/Magüta Masks and a Still Unknown Blue Colorant in Technical Art History and Conservation Science

Advances in Analytical Methods for Cultural Heritage

Conservation science, also referred to as heritage science or cultural heritage science, is a unique field of scientific inquiry that addresses specific questions derived from the world of art, archaeology, architecture, and archives. [...]

Nature's value and biodiversity ethics in a changing world: Insights from a special issue and questions for the future

Motivated by philosophical quandaries arising from environmental ethics and the moral philosophy of biodiversity, we convened a special issue of Biological Conservation entitled “Ethics and practice of biodiversity science: how hidden moral assumptions impact conservation research and policy,” inviting a range of expert voices to examine these questions from a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and traditions. We sought to discover how many of the founding value statements of conservation biology were still current, and if new any ones had supplemented or replaced them. Broad initial momentum from a wide range of contributors soon met with the headwinds of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we eventually emerged with 34 global contributors representing a diverse array of viewpoints. The contributed pieces range from philosophical investigations of value in Nature, applied conservation ethics for endangered species, the rights and roles of Indigenous peoples, macroevolutionary processes of mass extinction, human well-being and social justice, the history of colonialism in conservation, and subtle cultural differences between global powers with respect to Nature. All speak to often unstated values in conservation science. Finally, we offer some questions of our own stemming from these contributions that might provide new or expanded avenues for investigation.

Measuring and reducing the ecological risk of community tourism for ecosystem conservation

The escalating ecological risks associated with Community Tourism (CT) pose a significant threat to ecosystem conservation worldwide, yet methods to predict and prevent CT-induced problems remain underexplored. In the context of the pronounced emphasis on the economic advantages of CT and its extensive implementation, the spatial prediction of CT-induced ecological issues and the corresponding effective preventative strategies are crucial. This study integrates composite indicators, Public Participation Geographic Information Systems, spatial statistics, and scenario analysis to develop Community Tourism Ecological Risk Models (CTERMs). Using the Qinghai Lake region as a case study, this study quantifies the spatial distribution of ecological risks associated with CT, identify priority areas for intervention, and propose enhanced mitigation strategies. Results indicate that CTERMs effectively pinpoint sites of ecological concern, making them valuable tools for forecasting CT-induced problems. Although high-risk areas constitute a small portion of the study area, significant disparities among communities highlight three clusters requiring urgent preventive measures. The current tourism concession layout is inadequate for mitigating CT-induced ecological risks. Adjusting the locations of concessions, while maintaining their current number, can significantly reduce ecological threats and protect endangered species. These findings demonstrate that strategic concession placement offers considerable ecological benefits. As new frameworks for biodiversity conservation are being considered, conservation scientists and policymakers are presented with an opportunity to integrate community development, poverty reduction, and ecosystem conservation by utilizing CTERMs for the strategic allocation of concessions.

Tourists’ behavioural intention to participate in marine citizen science: a South African case study

ABSTRACT The increasing demand for coastal and marine tourism and the negative impact of its exploitation call for strategies to promote sustainable forms of marine tourism. Citizen science (CS) as part of the marine tourism experience could support sustainable tourism by providing opportunities for people to learn about the natural environment and take actions that can influence conservation policy and encourage pro-environmental behaviours. The present study assessed marine tourists’ disposition towards marine conservation and their intention to participate in kelp CS in South Africa, using a modified version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. A total of 250 people participated in a questionnaire survey from 10 August to 24 September 2021, in Simon’s Town, Cape Town. Although the tourists possessed moderate knowledge of kelp forests and a favourable disposition towards the environment, behavioural intention to participate in kelp monitoring/conservation as part of tourism was relatively low. Perceived behavioural control was the only factor influencing behavioural intention. These results offer insight into the drivers and barriers to participation in CS by tourists. There are opportunities for marine tourism businesses and organisations to package forms of CS-based tourism that can be educative and provide opportunities to actively participate in science for marine conservation.