Sites Of Conservation Importance Research Articles

The impact of tree loss on carbon management in West Africa

This study quantifies the amount of carbon stored and sequestered by vegetation in west Africa, carbon loss due to tree cover loss, and the potential natural sequestration relative to projected carbon emissions in 2030. GIS analysis of published data on vegetation biomass, tree cover, sequestration by vegetation and soil carbon indicate that vegetation and soil held 38,855 Mt of carbon in 2010, most of which was in above and below ground vegetation. The loss of 58,353 km2 (9%) of tree cover between 2010 and 2018 resulted in the loss of 672 Mt of 14,923 Mt carbon in vegetation. Key Biodiversity Areas, (sites of conservation importance), covered 7.4% of land but in 2010 contained 16% of carbon stored in vegetation. Trees sequestered between 23.6 and 53.6 Mt of carbon in 2018 (17% of which was in Key Biodiversity Areas). Restoration of the tree cover lost in west Africa between 2010 and 2018 could sequester an additional 27.5 Mt of carbon per annum during the first 30 years of growth. Our estimates indicate a combination of conservation and restoration of tree cover could sequester the equivalent of c.30% of projected 2030 regional emissions, contributing significantly towards mitigating climate change.

An important site for conservation of bats in Brazil: Passa Três cave, São Domingos karst area, with an updated checklist for Distrito Federal (DF) and Goiás state

A checklist of bats from Distrito Federal (DF) and Goiás state (GO) and, particularly a single cave (Passa Três cave), located in São Domingos karst area (GO), central Brazil, is presented. Data is based on literature and surveys carried out during 2,000 years. In total, 66 species were recorded, with 30 using caves as shelters. Passa Três cave harbors nine Phyllostomidae species; the most abundant species werePlatyrrhinuslineatus, Lonchorhinaaurita,DesmodusrotundusandCarolliaperspicillata; and the less abundantsTrachopscirrhosus,AnouracaudiferandGlossophagasoricina. Besides, the cave is shelter of two threatened bats -Lonchophylladekeyseri(Endangered category) andLonchorhinaaurita(Vulnerable category), included at Brazilian List of Threatened Fauna, and of a rare species,Lionycterisspurrelli. Passa Três cave shows enough attributes to be considered as a SICOM (Sites of Importance for Conservation of Bats), which would ensure its protection.

Climatic Disequilibrium Threatens Conservation Priority Forests

AbstractWe test the hypothesis that climatic changes since 1800 have resulted in unrealized potential vegetation changes that represent a “climatic debt” for many ecosystems. Caledonian pinewoods, an EU priority forest type, are used as a model system to explore potential impacts of two centuries of climatic change upon sites of conservation importance and surrounding landscapes. Using methods that estimate topographic microclimate, current and preindustrial climates were estimated for 50 m grid cells and simulations made using a dynamic vegetation model. Core Caledonian pinewood areas are now less suitable for growth of pine and more favorable for oak than in 1800, whereas landscapes as a whole are on average more favorable for both. The most favorable areas for pine are now mainly outside areas designated to conserve historical pinewoods. A paradigm shift is needed in formulating conservation strategies to avoid catastrophic losses of this habitat, and of many others globally with trees or other long‐lived perennials as keystone species.

Protection Reduces Loss of Natural Land-Cover at Sites of Conservation Importance across Africa

There is an emerging consensus that protected areas are key in reducing adverse land-cover change, but their efficacy remains difficult to quantify. Many previous assessments of protected area effectiveness have compared changes between sets of protected and unprotected sites that differ systematically in other potentially confounding respects (e.g. altitude, accessibility), have considered only forest loss or changes at single sites, or have analysed changes derived from land-cover data of low spatial resolution. We assessed the effectiveness of protection in reducing land-cover change in Important Bird Areas (IBAs) across Africa using a dedicated visual interpretation of higher resolution satellite imagery. We compared rates of change in natural land-cover over a c. 20-year period from around 1990 at a large number of points across 45 protected IBAs to those from 48 unprotected IBAs. A matching algorithm was used to select sample points to control for potentially confounding differences between protected and unprotected IBAs. The rate of loss of natural land-cover at sample points within protected IBAs was just 42% of that at matched points in unprotected IBAs. Conversion was especially marked in forests, but protection reduced rates of forest loss by a similar relative amount. Rates of conversion increased from the centre to the edges of both protected and unprotected IBAs, but rates of loss in 20-km buffer zones surrounding protected IBAs and unprotected IBAs were similar, with no evidence of displacement of conversion from within protected areas to their immediate surrounds (leakage).

Birds and wind projects across the pond: A UK perspective

AbstractWind‐energy generation is expanding globally, largely in response to climate change predictions, in an attempt to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. The increasing demand for locations with suitable wind resource places pressure on bird species and sites of conservation importance. Our understanding of the effects of wind‐energy generation on birds is growing, but ambitious targets for wind‐energy production mean that we need to apply best available information in smarter ways now, refining our approaches as evidence accrues. This applies especially to the offshore “windrush,” which is taking place in Europe, notably the United Kingdom, which currently leads the world in installed capacity offshore. This paper presents UK experience and European studies, onshore and offshore, to consider lessons learned, especially in view of the fledgling offshore industry in the USA. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.

Open-source mapping and services for Web-based land-cover validation

Monitoring land-cover changes on sites of conservation importance allows environmental problems to be detected, solutions to be developed and the effectiveness of actions to be assessed. However, the remoteness of many sites or a lack of resources means these data are frequently not available. Remote sensing may provide a solution, but large-scale mapping and change detection may not be appropriate, necessitating site-level assessments. These need to be easy to undertake, rapid and cheap. We present an example of a Web-based solution based on free and open-source software and standards (including PostGIS, OpenLayers, Web Map Services, Web Feature Services and GeoServer) to support assessments of land-cover change (and validation of global land-cover maps). Authorised users are provided with means to assess land-cover visually and may optionally provide uncertainty information at various levels: from a general rating of their confidence in an assessment to a quantification of the proportions of land-cover types within a reference area. Versions of this tool have been developed for the TREES-3 initiative (Simonetti et al., 2011). This monitors tropical land-cover change through ground-truthing at latitude/longitude degree confluence points, and for monitoring of change within and around Important Bird Areas (IBAs) by Birdlife International and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). In this paper we present results from the second of these applications. We also present further details on the potential use of the land-cover change assessment tool on sites of recognised conservation importance, in combination with NDVI and other time series data from the eStation (a system for receiving, processing and disseminating environmental data). We show how the tool can be used to increase the usability of Earth observation data by local stakeholders and experts, and assist in evaluating the impact of protection regimes on land-cover change.

Conservation assessment of the critically endangered frog Mantella aurantiaca in Madagascar

Mantella aurantiaca is a small, bright orange, terrestrial amphibian that is endemic to the island of Madagascar. The species has attracted significant attention from herpetologists and captive breeders but relatively little effort has been given to its conservation in the wild. We surveyed 33 reported breeding localities of the species to determine sites of conservation importance and aspects of habitat use and seasonality. We found a total of 471 M. aurantiaca in 26 different localities, all of which were characterised by intact or degraded humid forest on sloping ground alongside temporary lentic ponds in narrow valleys. Additional monitoring at a single site revealed that adult M. aurantiaca predominantly used the ponds and surrounding humid forest habitat during the austral summer and moved upslope at the beginning of the austral winter. Effective conservation for this species should therefore include measures to safeguard both forest and aquatic habitat features. Although 62% of localities occurred in sites with a positive conservation status (provisional protected areas or Ramsar sites), there is currently heavy pressure from artisanal mining, logging and agriculture in these areas. Because a further 15% of sites occur on land due to be impacted by mining and an additional 23% were at sites without any biodiversity management, the future of M. aurantiaca in the wild is precarious. A species conservation strategy is therefore needed to produce a cohesive plan for the future which aims to secure as many sites as possible for conservation.

Identifying indicators of atmospheric nitrogen deposition impacts in acid grasslands

Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen has become a serious concern for nature conservation managers and policy makers. It has the potential to reduce species richness, increase the graminoid component of the sward, encourage species typical of more fertile conditions and alter the soil biogeochemistry of grasslands. Calcifugous grasslands (grasslands found on acid soils) are among the most sensitive to N deposition due to their poorly buffered soils and species typical of nutrient poor environments. Indicators have an important role to play in detecting the impact of nitrogen deposition on sites of conservation importance and assessing conservation status. This study investigates potential indicators of nitrogen deposition impacts that could be incorporated into site condition monitoring programmes such as the UK Common Standards Monitoring. Using two national surveys of calcifugous grasslands we examined the potential for using: the presence or absence of indicator species, the cover of indicator species, the species richness and richness of functional groups, and the cover of functional groups as indicators of N deposition impacts. Of all the potential indicators investigated, graminoid:forb ratio was found to be the best indicator of N deposition impacts. It showed a significant relationship to N deposition in both data sets and is quick and easy to assess in the field. Vegetation indicators must be used with caution as there is potential for vegetation management regime and nutrients from other sources to cause similar changes in species composition. Consideration must be given to these before attributing changes to nitrogen deposition.