Unsustainable Resource Use Research Articles

Classification of successional stages in native forests of the Argentine Spinal through neural networks

AbstractNative forests are subject to variations in the structure of the different strata. These modifications can have a natural origin due to phenomena such as climate variation, fires, or floods; or they can be anthropic, due to the unsustainable use of forest resources. In general, according to the dominance of the different strata, the forests are classified as virgin, successional, or renoval. In the realization of inventories, there are situations in which the operator can offer a doubtful classification with a high degree of subjectivity. The purpose of this work has been to provide to technicians an objective tool for the classification of successional status in native forests. In this work, it has been found that there is a relationship between the presence of combinations of different plant species, both arboreal and shrub, related to the classification of forests. This relationship has been analyzed through the application of neural networks in two steps: First, a perceptron was applied, then a probabilistic neural network. The analysis through an artificial neuronal network of these two stages has allowed us to develop equations that through the presence/absence of 16 species allows to classify objectively the successional state. This analysis demonstrated an agreement of 83% with the subjective classification of trained field assessors.

Future Mangrove Suitability Assessment of Andaman to strengthen sustainable development

Islands are threatened by various natural and anthropogenic factors including climate change, overpopulation, unsustainable use of natural resources and increasing trend in seismic events. Therefore, studies on island in specific aspect (ecological, social and economic) is very essential for sustainable resource management and future development. Mangroves are highly important natural resources of coastal regions in respect to coastal livelihood and natural defense. Although, around 46% of the mangrove forest area has vanished worldwide in the last few decades. In this present research, Future Mangrove Suitability Index (FMSI) using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method has been performed for sustainable forest management under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal no 15. It is a new framework applied on North and Middle Andaman Island to determine the future distribution of mangrove forest. Land-use and land-covers (LULC) are prepared in supervised classification (maximum likelihood algorithm) techniques with 3000 signatures. A total number of fourteen parameters has been used in multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) platform to generate future scenarios. Among them, Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) projected climatic data (RCP 6.0 scenario shows the best result comparing to 4.5 and 8.5) and projected population data has been used for the first time in the investigated area. The final results are validated using 556 field sample point. Seven major sensitive parameters have been selected from sensitivity analysis and three statistical correlation analysis has been performed using 300 field points to generate the actual correlation between the parameters. The final outcome shows that major unsuitable zones are located in Diglipur tehsil whereas; highest suitable zones are located in Rangat tehsil region which are the result of the continuous increase of sea surface height (1.5 mm observed during 1980–2009), seismic events with frequent storm surges, anthropogenic influences and impact of climate change. Thus a planned sustainable development practice is essential to control the biodiversity loss and future livelihood management. Moreover, this study will strengthen future planning projects and researches in mangrove ecosystem management of Andaman.

Drivers of Households’ Decision Making in Agroforestry Practices in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

The increased pressure on the world natural resources has resulted in unsustainable use of natural resources, environmental instability and soil degradation. This study investigated the drivers of agroforestry practices in Eket agricultural zone of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Data were collected by the use of structured questionnaires. Simple random sampling was adopted in the selection of 102 farm households from Eket agricultural zone of Akwa Ibom State. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and probit model. The result showed that the average year of formal education was 11.86, with the mean age of 44.46. Also, the mean score of 2.61 suggest that majority of the respondents were aware of agroforestry practices. The probit analysis indicates that factors such as marital status, farming experience, educational level and land ownership status had positive and significant effects on their decision to adopt agroforestry practices. Conversely, total household income had a negative and statistically significant effect on farmers’ decision to adopt agroforestry. Socio-economic characteristics such as marital status, educational level, farming experience and land ownership status were the major drivers of household’s decision making in agroforestry in the study area.

Is aquaculture abandonment a threat to sustainable coastal resource use? – A case study of Andhra Pradesh, India, with options for reuse

The conversion of important ecosystems and land used for other purposes to aquaculture and abandonment after short-term use threatens coastal resources. The spatial extent and location of abandoned aquaculture farms were explored in this study based on land use change detection and trajectories in the Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh, India, as a case study using the Geographic Information System (GIS), satellite data, spatial analysis techniques, and field verification. Satellite image interpretation keys for abandoned aquaculture were identified. The brackishwater aquaculture area increased by 387% from 1990 to 2000, then decreased by 19% in 2006, and further decreased by 47% in 2009. As a result, 6648 ha of shrimp farms were abandoned in 2006. This number further increased to 13,493 ha in 2009. The introduction of the Penaeus vannamei culture in 2009 has increased the shrimp farm growth by 35% in 2015 and revived 11% of the unused aquaculture farms. Considering the rise and fall of the extent of shrimp farms, overall 30.6% of the shrimp farms were abandoned in 2015. Markov chain analysis indicates that the abandoned aquaculture area will be 11,512 ha in 2021 and that the conversion of agricultural land into shrimp farms continues. The soil characteristics of abandoned shrimp ponds and the water quality of source waterbodies near unused areas indicate the potential of the reuse for shrimp farming based on suitable management practices. Identification of the prior land use of abandoned shrimp farms such as mangroves, agricultural land, has given the options for reuse. Efforts need to be made to revive abandoned shrimp farms; otherwise, they may lead to unsustainable resource use in major shrimp-growing countries worldwide.

The role of social structure for governing natural resources in decentralized political systems: Insights from governing a fishery in Indonesia

This empirical research investigates whether distinct network configurations between actors facilitate or impede successful local natural resource governance in decentralized political systems. Network analysis is applied to disentangle the interaction between actors involved in a decentralized fishery governance system in Indonesia from a polycentric perspective. Using an embedded network case study design, the study examines whether common interaction patterns are observed in local study sites with more successful governance outcomes compared to study sites with less successful outcomes. Three common patterns are identified: (i) higher frequency of interaction of local actors, and (ii) stronger activity of local non‐governmental actors in the polycentric governance network are found in the sites with more successful outcomes. Furthermore, the results show (iii) a higher centralization of the local governance networks with rent‐seeking actors in strong brokerage positions where highly unsustainable resource use prevails. This points to the existence of a ‘dark side’ of brokerage.

The Importance of Education and Community Engagement Towards Sea Turtle Conservation

In order to cope with the historic unsustainable use of resources and lack of concern that humans have for the environment, scientists and educators have “elected” species they believe can help to conserve natural resources. As a beloved and charismatic species, sea turtles are often chosen as ambassadors to encourage a change in public perception of the importance of healthy ecosystems. Sea turtles are some of the most vulnerable species in marine ecosystems, yet the roles they play as habitat engineers, predators, prey, and facilitators of nutrient cycling are becoming more apparent as human activities have reduced their numbers worldwide. Poaching of their nests, bycatch in commercial fisheries, and capture for meat and carapaces are drastically affecting critical turtle populations and placing them closer to extinction. However, by playing vital roles in the delicate balance of marine ecosystems, they help educators encourage changes in behavior that help protect sea turtles and the marine ecosystems that rely on them. This paper highlights the importance of education in conservation and demonstrates the use of charismatic megafauna, like the sea turtle, in the fight to save the environment by showcasing the role that sea turtles play in marine ecosystems as well as the success of Equipo Tora Carey<em>. </em>

Boosting Rural Areas Revitalization in the Mediterranean through Cross-cutting Approach Based on Ecological and Social Resilience

Urban areas have been identified as one of the key challenges to tackle in the next decades. Most of the environmental impacts associated to urban contexts are linked to an unsustainable use of resources basically due to urban planning and society’s consumption behaviour. Currently, the paradigm of sustainable cities brought out in the past years situates urban contexts as an opportunity to reduce these impacts. There is a wide range of strategies focused on cities and their transition to a more sustainable urban model: compactness, sustainable mobility, energy efficiency, waste management and greening are some of the most relevant approaches with clear indicators and implementation plans. However, rural areas are still pending for a precise strategy that highlights their ecological added value avoiding to be defined only as “not urban”. Rural areas should be emphasized from their productivity perspective and their key role in terms of resilience and adaptation to Climate Change. In the framework of the Interreg Med Programme, Thematic Communities are working on the capitalisation of projects from different kind of approaches of application in the Mediterranean Area. Four of these communities - Renewable Energy, Green Growth, Sustainable Tourism and Efficient Buildings - have several projects that present rural areas as one common territory of intervention. The aim of this paper is to expose the standards and goals proposed by the Interreg Med Thematic Communities for Rural Areas Revitalization as a resilience strategy in the Mediterranean Region, using a cross-cutting approach. The cross-cutting approach stresses the relation among the environment, society and economy: rural liveability, increasing RES production with sharing microgrid systems & efficient buildings, as well as green economy based on sectors such as agricultural & tourism activities. These standards and results will provide reference values to shape final policies recommendations. Consequently, the present paper is based on the joint cross-thematic effort and work from four thematic communities of the Interreg MED programme, previously mentioned. It includes some references to existing research studies, but the aim is to open the path to identify new challenges of Mediterranean rural areas and find potential solutions from a holistic approach.

Tax expenditure and the treatment of tax incentives for investment

Abstract Governments use tax expenditures to boost investment, innovation and employment. However, these schemes are largely opaque, costly and often ineffective in reaching their stated goals. They also frequently trigger unwanted side effects. In order to improve the performance of these tools, the authors present three concrete policy proposals: First, governments should increase transparency on tax benefits. G20 members should take the lead on this with frequent and comprehensive tax expenditure reports. Second, G20 governments should improve the design of tax incentives with the aim of minimizing the generation of windfall profits and negative spillover effects within and across (in particular, on poorer) countries. Third, governments should phase out tax expenditures that are environmentally harmful, including tax incentives for fossil fuels and other schemes that promote an unsustainable use of natural resources.

Defining freshwater as a natural resource: A framework linking water use to the area of protection natural resources.

While many examples have shown unsustainable use of freshwater resources, existing LCIA methods for water use do not comprehensively address impacts to natural resources for future generations. This framework aims to (1) define freshwater resource as an item to protect within the Area of Protection (AoP) natural resources, (2) identify relevant impact pathways affecting freshwater resources, and (3) outline methodological choices for impact characterization model development. Considering the current scope of the AoP natural resources, the complex nature of freshwater resources and its important dimensions to safeguard safe future supply, a definition of freshwater resource is proposed, including water quality aspects. In order to clearly define what is to be protected, the freshwater resource is put in perspective through the lens of the three main safeguard subjects defined by Dewulf et al. (2015). In addition, an extensive literature review identifies a wide range of possible impact pathways to freshwater resources, establishing the link between different inventory elementary flows (water consumption, emissions and land use) and their potential to cause long-term freshwater depletion or degradation. Freshwater as a resource has a particular status in LCA resource assessment. First, it exists in the form of three types of resources: flow, fund, or stock. Then, in addition to being a resource for human economic activities (e.g. hydropower), it is above all a non-substitutable support for life that can be affected by both consumption (source function) and pollution (sink function). Therefore, both types of elementary flows (water consumption and emissions) should be linked to a damage indicator for freshwater as a resource. Land use is also identified as a potential stressor to freshwater resources by altering runoff, infiltration and erosion processes as well as evapotranspiration. It is suggested to use the concept of recovery period to operationalize this framework: when the recovery period lasts longer than a given period of time, impacts are considered to be irreversible and fall into the concern of freshwater resources protection (i.e. affecting future generations), while short-term impacts effect the AoP ecosystem quality and human health directly. It is shown that it is relevant to include this concept in the impact assessment stage in order to discriminate the long-term from the short-term impacts, as some dynamic fate models already do. This framework provides a solid basis for the consistent development of future LCIA methods for freshwater resources, thereby capturing the potential long-term impacts that could warn decision makers about potential safe water supply issues in the future.

Estrategias para la gestión integrada y sostenible del recurso hídrico en el municipio de Pauna (Boyacá)

Introducción: el presente artículo es producto de la investigación “Estrategias para gestión integrada y sostenible del recurso hídrico”, realizada durante 2017 y 2018 en el municipio de Pauna, ubicado en el occidente del departamento de Boyacá (Colombia). Problema: el uso insostenible del recurso hídrico por parte de la población del municipio constituye una problemática de prioridad social y ambiental; el agua en el municipio se ha utilizado con fines cada vez más numerosos, en aras de atender las necesidades que surgen del desarrollo económico y turístico. Objetivo: formular estrategias de gestión para el uso eficiente del agua en los sectores de consumo residencial, comercial y turístico del municipio. Metodología: el uso eficiente del agua implicó comprender y caracterizar los hábitos, además de los sectores de consumo, y verificar la calidad del agua en aras de crear estrategias de gestión ambiental mediante encuestas descriptivas de tipo abierto. Para revisar la variación de la calidad del agua se tomaron muestras puntales. Resultados: el uso insostenible del recurso hídrico está ligado al uso de grifería obsoleta, a la creciente demanda del agua debido al desarrollo y al turismo, y al mantenimiento general de balnearios. Conclusión: con este proyecto se generó un cambio en el comportamiento del uso hacia la eficiencia y la modificación de prácticas de los usuarios, a fin de favorecer la sustentabilidad de los habitantes. Originalidad: se formularon estrategias de gestión integrada y sostenible del recurso hídrico por primera vez en el municipio de Pauna. Limitaciones: la carencia de información suministrada por el municipio y el acceso a los puntos de muestreo.

A (Not So) Perfectly Designed System: The Paradox of Medical Stewardship and Quality Measurement.

“Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.”1 Health care quality measurement has become important for evaluating hospitals, practices, and individual clinicians. Unfortunately, our current quality measurement system is designed to reward those who do more even when doing more may not benefit, and may even harm, patients. Today, medical care is scrutinized through the lens of quality improvement and measurement, with patient experience being a key component of health care assessment. With medical overuse being described as a serious and extensive quality problem in US health care,2 the current system will need to be redesigned for clinicians to effectively minimize unnecessary testing and treatments and, in short, champion medical stewardship. Despite efforts of campaigns and the dissemination of evidence-based guidelines to reduce the wasteful and unsustainable use of medical resources, pediatric patients continue to receive low-value care.3 Here, we propose that 2 of the main vehicles for quality measurement do not currently align well with the intent of medical stewardship: quality measures and patient satisfaction scores. Present-day measures tend to favor assessments of underuse rather than overuse. As an example, >75% of the currently used quality process measures in pediatrics are used to target the underuse of health care services, such as documenting hydration status in gastroenteritis, obtaining a blood culture in patients with community-acquired pneumonia, and performing hearing testing for patients …

Epistemic Marginality, Higher and Environmental Education in Colombia

Due to their ecological and cultural wealth and diversity many Latin American countries suffer from the exploitation of natural resources and environmental conflicts. These are furthered by many interconnected factors: divergent world views on land and territory and the competitive interests that stem from them (land and nature as livelihood with symbolic meaning vs. land and its resources as commodity), multiple legal systems (legal pluralism), different social relations and equally divergent strategies and technologies to transform nature. In Colombia among other countries, these factors are largely responsible for the emergence and intensification of the unsustainable resource use and the exploitation of natural resources, for example through an increase of extractive activities such as mining and agricultural practices in the style of the green revolution. Both are privileged in the current conventional and neoliberal model of development, with serious destructive consequences for the natural and cultural environment (symbolic, social, economic, political and technological). Strategies to solve the mentioned problems need a critical reflection on the epistemic foundations that represent diverse perspectives on ecology, development and the environment. We assume that higher and environmental education are important aspects, political agents and protagonists for the enforcement of ideologies and interests, and should therefore be diversified to increase political participation and decrease social inequalities.

A agroecologia ontem, hoje e amanhã em Terras Tupiniquins: Conceito, contexto e perspectivas

A agroecologia parte da ideia que é possível o desenvolvimento de uma agricultura sustentável. Por isso, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a agroecologia enquanto alternativa para mitigar a degradação ambiental que a agricultura convencional tem causado. Trata-se de uma revisão bibliográfica baseada na literatura especializada através de consulta a livros, artigos científicos e leis que corroboraram com as informações e análises aqui apresentadas. O trabalho está estruturado da seguinte forma: 1. Trabalha-se o conceito de agroecologia segundo autores da literatura acadêmica; 2. É feito uma contextualização histórica do surgimento da agroecologia no mundo e, posteriormente, no Brasil; 3. É vista a situação da agroecologia atualmente, com ênfase para os problemas que a mesma tem enfrentado; 4. É analisada a inserção dos agrotóxicos na agricultura convencional; 5. E por fim, é apresentada como se deu a estruturação legal da agroecologia no Brasil. Constatou-se que a agricultura atual tem se estruturado pela elevada dependência em relação aos insumos químicos, mecanização intensiva e uso insustentável dos recursos naturais, por isso é necessário que haja um diálogo dessas práticas com as ações da agroecologia.

USE OF DECUPLING POLICIES TO ADDRESS THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES OF WATER RESOURCES IN EGYPT

Water scarcity and unequal geographic distribution of this important resource may be one of the most important environmental challenges affecting the sustainability of water resources. Especially, where water resources are scarce and the rate of its withdrawal is higher than the rate of replenishment through the hydrological cycle.There is a definite risk of depletion, leading to unsustainable use of water resources. Therefore the decoupling of water resources from economic growth is the key of sustainable development, especially for Egypt,in light of the current problems that have become increasingly complicated regarding to water resources.Decoupling refers to the economy's ability to grow without a corresponding increase in environmental pressure. This means, decoupling Natural Resource Use and Environmental Impacts from Economic Growth.This paper provides an overview of how decoupling policies contribute to the water sector. Through a number of interviews done with water resources'experts who emphasize the necessity of using these new policies when managing water resources. The paper also describes some technological solutions that can contribute to the implementation of water decoupling policy in the agricultural, industrial and municipal sectors. It also provides some achievements of some countries regarding the decoupling of water resources and economic this policyisconsidering one of the components of the integrated approach that can be used in water resources management in Egypt.

Articulating natural resources and sustainable development goals through green economy indicators: A systematic analysis

Natural Resources are essential inputs for economic and social development. However, unsustainable resource use has led to environmental degradation and resource depletion, endangering the well-being of humanity and the environment. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a plan of action to address these issues. The Green Economy (GE) concept is described by various institutions as a vehicle to move towards sustainable resource management. This paper demonstrates the linkages between SDGs and Natural Resources though the systematic analysis of 494 GE indicators, derived from 12 distinct frameworks focusing on GE or on Green Growth. This articulation provides insights to gain an improved understanding of the links between SDGs and Natural Resources and interpret their inherent complexity. GE indicators focus unevenly on SDG, although each SDG is related to at least one resource category. Two complementary typologies were applied to the Materials subcategory to highlight additional characteristics, leading to the proposal of an adaptable analytical framework for the assessment of sustainability issues and GE transitions.

Monitoring Mountains in a Changing World: New Horizons for the Global Network for Observations and Information on Mountain Environments (GEO-GNOME)

Mountains are globally distributed environments that provide significant societal benefits, a function that is increasingly compromised by climatic change, environmental stress, political and socioeconomic transformations, and unsustainable use of natural resources. Gaps in our understanding of these processes and their interactions limit our capacity to inform decisions, where both generalities of mountain regions (eg climate processes) and specificities (eg context-specific manifestations of climate risks) matter. The Global Network for Observations and Information on Mountain Environments (GEO-GNOME), a Group on Earth Observations initiative, aims to fill these gaps through accessible Earth Observation (EO) as well as in-situ data and information on global change drivers, conditions, and trends. A workshop convened by the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) revised GEO-GNOME's work plan, galvanizing a network that promotes relevant monitoring of global change in mountains and is responsive to the integrated knowledge needs of policy, research, and management.

Policy pivot in Puget Sound: Lessons learned from marine protected areas and tribally-led estuarine restoration

Environmental change amplifies the challenge of protecting and restoring Puget Sound. As rising pressures from population growth, development, unsustainable resource use, climate impacts and other factors alter this urbanizing basin, efforts to recover salmon and ecosystem health and to enhance climate resilience face unprecedented social complexities and intensifying competition for space. A multi-method study of citizen and practitioner perspectives on protection and restoration suggests that capacity to manage under these conditions can be improved through strengthening an approach that has already become central in restoration practice: multiple-benefit planning. In this research, we examine and compare planning approaches used to develop marine protected areas (MPA) and estuary restoration (ER) projects in Puget Sound. Surveying non-tribal public attitudes toward these projects, we found limited knowledge concerning existing MPAs but support for wider use of such protections. We find that initiatives pursuing conservation, protection, restoration and resilience can gain advantage from (a) broadly inclusive and collaborative planning; (b) recognition of tribal treaty rights, management authorities, and leadership; (c) careful consideration and mitigation of project impacts on affected people (e.g. especially tribal and non-tribal fisheries for MPAs; farm interests and landowners for restoration projects). We note that “no-take” MPA designation has stalled, while ER efforts are overcoming sharp objections and controversies by crafting projects to deliver multiple social-ecological benefits: improved flood control and drainage, salmon recovery, recreational enjoyment, and resilience to climate change. Comparable strategies have not yet evolved in designation of “no-take” MPAs in Puget Sound. We offer conclusions and recommendations for accelerating conservation and resilience initiatives to keep pace with a changing environment. A key human dimensions research-based recommendation is that increasing environmental pressures intensify the need to strengthen collaborative and sustained planning and implementation processes.

Towards a framework to support coastal change governance in small islands

SUMMARYSmall islands can guide visualization of the diverse information requirements of future context-relevant coastal governance. On small marine islands (<20 000 km2), negative effects of coastal challenges (e.g., related to population growth, unsustainable resource use or climate change) can develop rapidly, with high intensity and extreme impacts. The smallest and most remote islands within small-island states and small islands in larger states can be threatened by intrinsic governance factors, typically resulting in access to fewer resources than larger islands or administrative centres. For these reasons, efforts to support coastal change governance are critical and need to be targeted. We propose a conceptual framework that distinguishes key governance-related components of small-island social–ecological systems (SESs). To prioritize areas of vulnerability and opportunity, physical, ecological, social, economic and governance attributes are visualized to help show the ability of different types of small-island SESs to adapt, or be transformed, in the face of global and local change. Application of the framework to an Indonesian archipelago illustrates examples of local rule enforcement supporting local self-organized marine governance. Visualization of complex and interconnected social, environmental and economic changes in small-island SESs provides a better understanding of the vulnerabilities and opportunities related to context-specific governance.

Does reducing food losses and wastes in sub-Saharan Africa make economic sense?

Reducing food losses and waste (FLW) is one of the sustainable ways of closing the food requirement gap in developing countries. However, there is not yet adequate knowledge on the extent of FLW by commodity type and stage of the food supply chain (FSC). Focusing on ten agrarian countries in Africa and building mainly on the Food and Agriculture Organization's Food Balance Sheets (FBSs), this study generates some new insights on the level of FLW by country, FSC and food type. Across the FSC, we find that these countries lose a cumulative amount equivalent to 28% (641 kilocalories per capita per day - kcal/cap/day) of the current calorie intake. Within the FSC, the production and post-harvest handling stages contribute the greater shares of the total losses with 38% or 244 kcal/cap/day and 34% or 218 kcal/cap/day, respectively. Our results also show that farm incomes would increase by 20% if the avoidable losses and waste were recovered. These results are troublesome given the level of poverty and food insecurity in these countries and suggest inefficient and unsustainable use of natural resources (water and cropland) associated with the FSC losses.

The tragedy of the science-policy gap – Revised legislation fails to protect an endangered species in a managed boreal landscape

Unsustainable use of forest resources poses a serious threat to biodiversity worldwide. This threat is particularly important in boreal biomes, where intensive production-oriented forestry is widely applied. Legislation is one of the key tools for preserving nature from anthropogenic damage. Designation of environmental legislation should be grounded on sound scientific evidence in order to be effective. We assess the impact of guidelines enforcing the Finnish ad-hoc legislation aimed at preserving breeding sites and resting places of the Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans), a protected species in Finland and in the European Union under the Habitats Directive. Its habitat is under pressure from widespread forest clear-cutting practices. We collected data on site occupancy by breeding female flying squirrels from 81 sites spanning 12 years (2005–2016) and on relevant habitat variables around the site. Using generalized linear mixed models we quantified the predicted occupancy of breeding female flying squirrels in relation to the cover of breeding habitat around a site. We then compared the resulting habitat requirements of breeding females with the habitat that would be retained according to the initial national legislation guidelines and their proposed first revision. We show that both the initial and the proposed revision of the habitat protection guidelines allow the retention of breeding habitat patches of minimal size, which would yield a very low (less than 5%) predicted occupancy by a breeding flying squirrel female. The current revised guidelines are not science-driven and remain ineffective in safeguarding the species habitat from expanding forestry. These results expose the wide gap between science and policy for the implementation of environmental legislation, in this case the Habitats Directive, to protect species of conservation concern. There is an urgent need to fill the science-policy gap in order to achieve the preservation of biodiversity in a world under rapid transformation.