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Conventional nature conservation has attempted to protect biodiversity, ecological integrity (i.e., composition and biomass/abundance of native species), and ecosystem services in parallel, assuming generally positive relationships among them. However, many native species are potentially weakened by and maladapted to a new, warmer climate. Such native species may not be able to offer ecosystem services at previous levels. If the relationship between ecosystem services and native species is no longer positive due to climate change, pursuing ecological integrity could be ineffective for maximizing ecosystem services. Hence, there is room to investigate future relationships among biodiversity, ecological integrity, and ecosystem services. This investigation can be done by describing the changes in ecosystem services as a function of biodiversity and ecological integrity. Herein, biodiversity and ecological integrity can be expressed by phylogenetic diversity and species intactness indices based on abundance, respectively. According to my hypothetical figure, the metrics of biodiversity and ecological integrity are potentially not positively but rather negatively related to ecosystem services. The hypothetical figure can be examined and improved using three different approaches: computer simulations (e.g., the LANDIS‐II forest simulation model), collection of actual data (e.g., measuring ecosystem services of some sites with psychrophilic and thermophilic species), and questionnaire surveys about cultural services (e.g., using digitally manipulated photographs and generative adversarial networks). Thus, we can successfully enable practitioners to understand new relationships, which will be relevant to ecosystem management under changing climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, great research efforts have been made to understand how specific anthropogenic drivers impact coastal marine ecosystems and their services. Nevertheless, we still lack a synthesis of the existing knowledge on single and multiple anthropogenic drivers impacts to coastal marine systems, which is necessary to guide future work.The objective of this paper is to assess the current knowledge on the impacts of anthropogenic drivers and their interactions on coastal marine ecosystem services, with emphasis on abiotic drivers as dissolved nutrients (eutrophication or de‐eutrophication), temperature (warming), pH (acidification) and oxygen (hypoxia). We performed a systematic review of the literature consisting of 164 papers using the PRISMA method (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses). We only include English‐written papers, we exclude non‐English papers to avoid potential errors in representing or interpreting scientific information due to language limitations among the authors.The results show that coastal marine ecosystem service research has largely focused on single drivers, while multiple driver assessments are less common.Assessments partially integrate multiple driver complexity, but they do not consider (1) relations and feedbacks between drivers; 2() social processes dynamics; and (3) temporal and spatial scales.Synthesis and applications. We have reviewed the current scientific knowledge on how human drivers affect coastal marine ecosystem services. We found that understanding the combined effects of different drivers and considering various time and space scales is still a pending issue. Ignoring multiple drivers, their interactions and time and space scales limits our understanding of reality, and results in high levels of uncertainty. This affects policies and actions, as they rely on uncertain information. Thus, incomplete knowledge leads to poor management of coastal ecosystem services. To improve this, we propose research framework to better consider multiple drivers and time and space factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic habitat loss is widely recognized as a primary environmental concern. By contrast, debates on the effects of habitat fragmentation persist. To facilitate overcoming these debates, here we: (i) review the state of the literature on habitat fragmentation, finding widespread confusion and stigma; (ii) identify consequences of this for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management; and (iii) suggest ways in which research can move forward to resolve these problems. Confusion is evident from the 25 most‐cited fragmentation articles published between 2017 and 2021. These articles use five distinct concepts of habitat fragmentation, only one of which clearly distinguishes habitat fragmentation from habitat area and other factors ('fragmentation per se'). Stigmatization is evident from our new findings that fragmentation papers are more charged with negative sentiments when compared to papers from other subfields in the environmental sciences, and that fragmentation papers with more negative sentiments are cited more. While most empirical studies of habitat fragmentation per se find neutral or positive effects on species and biodiversity outcomes, which implies that small habitat patches have a high cumulative value, confusion and stigma in reporting and discussing such results have led to suboptimal habitat protection policy. For example, government agencies, conservation organizations, and land trusts impose minimum habitat patch sizes on habitat protection. Given the high cumulative value of small patches, such policies mean that many opportunities for conservation are being missed. Our review highlights the importance of reducing confusion and stigma in habitat fragmentation research. To this end, we propose implementing study designs in which multiple sample landscapes are selected across independent gradients of habitat amount and fragmentation, measured as patch density. We show that such designs are possible for forest habitat across Earth's biomes. As such study designs are adopted, and as language becomes more precise, we expect that confusion and stigma in habitat fragmentation research will dissipate. We also expect important breakthroughs in understanding the situations where effects of habitat fragmentation per se are neutral, positive, or negative, and the reasons for these differences. Ultimately this will improve efficacy of area‐based conservation policies, to the benefit of biodiversity and people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many ecosystems have been transformed, or degraded by human use, and restoration offers an opportunity to recover services and benefits, not to mention intrinsic values. We assessed whether restoration scientists and practitioners use their projects to demonstrate the benefits restoration can provide in their peer-reviewed publications. We evaluated a sample of the academic literature to determine whether links are made explicit between ecological restoration, society, and public policy related to natural capital. We analyzed 1,582 peer-reviewed papers dealing with ecological restoration published between 1 January 2000 and 30 September 2008 in 13 leading scientific journals. As selection criterion, we considered papers that contained either “restoration” or “rehabilitation” in their title, abstract, or keywords. Furthermore, as one-third of the papers were published in Restoration Ecology, we used that journal as a reference for comparison with all the other journals. We readily acknowledge that aquatic ecosystems are under-represented, and that the largely inaccessible gray literature was ignored. Within these constraints, we found clear evidence that restoration practitioners are failing to signal links between ecological restoration, society, and policy, and are underselling the evidence of benefits of restoration as a worthwhile investment for society. We discuss this assertion and illustrate it with samples of our findings—with regards to (1) the geographical and institutional affiliations of authors; (2) the choice of ecosystems studied, methods employed, monitoring schemes applied, and the spatial scale of studies; and (3) weak links to payments for ecosystem service setups, agriculture, and ramifications for public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. In minesoil reclamation, the establishment of a sustainable plant cover requires the improvement of limiting conditions and the re-initiation of carbon (C) and nutrient cycling. 2. The approach used in this study for reclaiming an abandoned sandpit in Quebec, Canada, was based on a heavy organic amendment as an attempt to accelerate the reconstruction of a functional ecosystem. 3. The one-time intervention consisted of incorporating paper de-inking sludge into soil at two rates (0 and 105 dry t ha–1 ), supplemented with nitrogen (N) at three rates (3, 6 and 9 g kg–1 sludge) and phosphorus (P) at two rates (0·5 and 1·0 g kg–1 sludge) followed by seeding (mid-summer) of Agropyron elongatum (Host) Beauv. (tall wheatgrass). 4. Standing biomass increased in the presence of sludge after both the first and second full growing seasons. High N application rates further increased yield, more importantly in the second season. The high P rate improved grass establishment in all cases. Ground cover increased with time and doubled in the presence of sludge whereas it declined in the absence of sludge. Phosphorus and N uptake was improved consistently in the presence of sludge. 5. Sludge application resulted in improved water retention and cation exchange capacities, and an increase in pH and bulk density of sandpit minesoil, all of which may have accounted for the significant improvement in plant responses. Levels of soil C and N suggest that this reconstructed system is approaching sustainability. 6. Adequate N and P supplements will accentuate the positive influence of sludge on revegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple cutting devices such as used in the printing industry allow precise and fine sectioning of frozen peats and sediments, thus enabling research with high temporal resolution. Large slices are useful in the collection of multiple synchronous subsamples for multidisciplinary research. This article describes the apparatus (called DAMOCLES) and its operation, and presents some examples from practice. These include combined microfossil, macrofossil and chemical analyses of the same sample with a sample resolution of 0.5 cm (temporal resolution c. 1 year): rapid changes occur that would have remained unnoticed with a coarser sampling distance. The final example presents a sample resolution of only 0.5 mm. These examples illustrate the possible uses of the DAMOCLES apparatus in palaeoecological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Each year, wild and managed fires burn roughly 4 million km2 [~400 million hectares (Mha)] of savanna, forest, grassland and agricultural ecosystems. Land use and climate change have altered fire regimes throughout the world, with a trend toward higher‐severity fires found from Australia, the Americas, Europe and Asia, to the Arctic. In 2020, there were notable catastrophic fires in Australia (in the 2019/20 Austral fire season), the Western United States, South America and Siberia. These fires defined much of the global fire year and were compounded by the socio‐economic disruption of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Location: Global. Time period: 2020. Major taxa studied: Flora and fauna. Methods: The Global Ecology and Biogeography special issue, 'Increasing threat of wildfires: the year 2020 in perspective', includes 18 papers that catalogue these fire events, their drivers and their impacts on flora and fauna. Results: Collectively, these papers highlight the importance of fire response traits, exposure and sensitivity to interacting threats in determining fire impacts. Main conclusions: The scale of the 2020 megafires has helped identify new research areas required to more comprehensively assess fire impacts on biodiversity and biogeochemistry and to inform ecosystem management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased mobility of people around the globe has facilitated transferring species to new environments, where some have found suitable conditions and even become invasive. False indigo‐bush (Amorpha fruticosa L.) is a plant native to North America but has intentionally or unintentionally spread over the Northern Hemisphere, where it often becomes invasive. The plant is especially easily dispersed within the watersheds of large rivers, where seasonal flooding is regular. Seeds and other propagules are buoyant, and when the water recedes, new plants emerge, forming dense thickets where only a few other species can co‐exist. In order to sustain native biodiversity, spread control is needed. However, mechanical control and eradication measures currently in use are labor demanding and costly, while application of herbicides is limited. On the other hand, the plant possesses a number of beneficial properties, such as phytochemical applications (medical and insecticidal effects), biocoenotic uses (honey plant, ornamental features), and ecosystem services (soil stabilization, provision of food for animals, and fiber and biomass for industry, e.g., nanocellulose). For the reasons above mentioned, the plant is considered quite controversial, and the paper discusses both aspects: potential detrimental effects when introduced to new habitats and its beneficial uses for human society. In addition, the paper presents alternative measures of spreading control (e.g., grazing) and argues that exploiting it for beneficial purposes might help spread control, thus covering the expenses of controlling its distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Range expansion is the spatial spread of a population into previously unoccupied regions. Understanding range expansion is important for the study and successful management of ecosystems, with applications ranging from controlling bacterial biofilm formation in industrial and medical environments to large scale conservation programmes for species undergoing climate‐change induced habitat disruption. During range expansion, species typically encounter competitors. Moreover, the spatial environment into which expansion takes place is almost always heterogeneous. Nevertheless, the impact of competition and spatial landscape heterogeneities on range expansion remains understudied. In this paper we present a theoretical framework comprising two competing generic species undergoing range expansion and use it to investigate the impact of spatial landscape heterogeneities on range expansion with a particular focus on its effect on competition dynamics. We reveal that the area covered by range expansion is highly variable due to the landscape heterogeneities. Moreover, we report significant variability in competitive outcome (relative abundance of a focal species), but determine that this is induced by low initial population densities and is independent of landscape heterogeneities. We further show that both area covered by range expansion and competitive outcome can be accurately predicted by a Voronoi tessellation with respect to an appropriate metric, which only requires information on the spatial landscape and the response of each species to that landscape. Finally, we reveal that if species interact antagonistically during range expansion, the dominant mode of competition depends on the initial population density; antagonistic actions determine competitive outcome if the initial population density is high, but competition for space is the dominant mode of competition if the initial population density is low. These findings enhance our understanding of how competition for space and antagonistic interactions affect range expansion in spatially heterogeneous environments and provide a predictive tool for future species‐specific approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, it is not feasible to collect enough empirical data to capture the entire range of processes that define a complex system, either intrinsically or when viewing the system from a different geographical or temporal perspective. In this context, an alternative approach is to consider model transferability, which is the act of translating a model built for one environment to another less well‐known situation. Model transferability and adaptability may be extremely beneficial—approaches that aid in the reuse and adaption of models, particularly for sites with limited data, would benefit from widespread model uptake. Besides the reduced effort required to develop a model, data collection can be simplified when transferring a model to a different application context. The research presented in this paper focused on a case study to identify and implement guidelines for model adaptation. Our study adapted a general Dynamic Bayesian Networks (DBN) of a seagrass ecosystem to a new location where nodes were similar, but the conditional probability tables varied. We focused on two species of seagrass (Zostera noltei and Zostera marina) located in Arcachon Bay, France. Expert knowledge was used to complement peer‐reviewed literature to identify which components needed adjustment including parameterization and quantification of the model and desired outcomes. We adopted both linguistic labels and scenario‐based elicitation to elicit from experts the conditional probabilities used to quantify the DBN. Following the proposed guidelines, the model structure of the general DBN was retained, but the conditional probability tables were adapted for nodes that characterized the growth dynamics in Zostera spp. population located in Arcachon Bay, as well as the seasonal variation on their reproduction. Particular attention was paid to the light variable as it is a crucial driver of growth and physiology for seagrasses. Our guidelines provide a way to adapt a general DBN to specific ecosystems to maximize model reuse and minimize re‐development effort. Especially important from a transferability perspective are guidelines for ecosystems with limited data, and how simulation and prior predictive approaches can be used in these contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Known as the "king of fishes," the Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, Salmonidae) is an iconic freshwater species whose contribution to human well‐being has long been recognized, as have widespread declines in its abundance, partly due to river regulation. To understand how salmon conservation has been addressed within the ecosystem services (ES) framework, we synthesized the peer‐reviewed literature on ES provided by salmon in regulated rivers. We developed a search string to capture allusions to provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural ES and assessed the results to identify knowledge gaps. The effects of hydropower on fisheries catches and on modelled populations were shown in several publications. Overall, few studies focused explicitly on ES from salmon and hydropower; this is surprising given the considerable body of literature on salmon in regulated rivers. Wild salmon as a food source and other provisioning services are less important today than historically. Because predators such as salmon are important for facilitating biodiversity by cycling nutrients and controlling food webs, there is a scope of work for future assessments of these regulating and supporting services. Few papers explicitly addressed cultural ES, despite the salmon's longstanding iconic status; this is a knowledge gap for future ES assessments in relation to hydropower. The influence of ES assessments for policy makers is growing through the Intergovernmental Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the post‐2020 biodiversity strategy. Explicitly addressing ES poses an opportunity for river managers to raise awareness of aquatic conservation efforts and well‐informed decision‐making for sustaining ES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A decade after environmental scientists integrated high‐throughput sequencing technologies in their toolbox, the genomics‐based monitoring of anthropogenic impacts on the biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems is yet to be implemented by regulatory frameworks. Despite the broadly acknowledged potential of environmental genomics to this end, technical limitations and conceptual issues still stand in the way of its broad application by end‐users. In addition, the multiplicity of potential implementation strategies may contribute to a perception that the routine application of this methodology is premature or "in development", hence restraining regulators from binding these tools into legal frameworks. Here, we review recent implementations of environmental genomics‐based methods, applied to the biomonitoring of ecosystems. By taking a general overview, without narrowing our perspective to particular habitats or groups of organisms, this paper aims to compare, review and discuss the strengths and limitations of four general implementation strategies of environmental genomics for monitoring: (a) Taxonomy‐based analyses focused on identification of known bioindicators or described taxa; (b) De novo bioindicator analyses; (c) Structural community metrics including inferred ecological networks; and (d) Functional community metrics (metagenomics or metatranscriptomics). We emphasise the utility of the three latter strategies to integrate meiofauna and microorganisms that are not traditionally utilised in biomonitoring because of difficult taxonomic identification. Finally, we propose a roadmap for the implementation of environmental genomics into routine monitoring programmes that leverage recent analytical advancements, while pointing out current limitations and future research needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass estimates for shrub‐dominated ecosystems in southern California have been generated at national and statewide extents. However, existing data tend to underestimate biomass in shrub vegetation types are limited to one point in time, or estimate aboveground live biomass only. In this study, we extended our previously developed estimates of aboveground live biomass (AGLBM) based on the empirical relationship of plot‐based field biomass measurements to Landsat normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and multiple environmental factors to include other vegetative pools of biomass. AGLBM estimates were made by extracting plot values from elevation, solar radiation, aspect, slope, soil type, landform, climatic water deficit, evapotranspiration, and precipitation rasters and then using a random forest model to estimate per‐pixel AGLBM across our southern California study area. By substituting year‐specific Landsat NDVI and precipitation data, we created a stack of annual AGLBM raster layers for each year from 2001 to 2021. Using these AGLBM data as a foundation, we developed decision rules to estimate belowground, standing dead, and litter biomass pools. These rules were based on relationships between AGLBM and the biomass of the other vegetative pools derived primarily from peer‐reviewed literature and an existing spatial data set. For shrub vegetation types (our primary focus), rules were based on literature estimates by the postfire regeneration strategy of each species (obligate seeder, facultative seeder, obligate resprouter). Similarly, for nonshrub vegetation types (grasslands, woodlands) we used literature and existing spatial data sets specific to each vegetation type to define rules to estimate the other pools from AGLBM. Using a Python language script that accessed Environmental Systems Research Institute raster geographic information system utilities, we applied decision rules to create raster layers for each of the non‐AGLBM pools for the years 2001–2021. The resulting spatial data archive contains a zipped file for each year; each of these files contains four 32‐bit tiff files for each of the four biomass pools (AGLBM, standing dead, litter, and belowground). The biomass units are grams per square meter (g/m2). We estimated the uncertainty of our biomass data by conducting a Monte Carlo analysis of the inputs used to generate the data. Our Monte Carlo technique used randomly generated values for each of the literature‐based and spatial inputs based on their expected distribution. We conducted 200 Monte Carlo iterations, which produced percentage uncertainty values for each of the biomass pools. Results showed, using 2010 as an example, mean biomass for the study area and percentage uncertainty for each of the pools as follows: AGLBM (905.4 g/m2, 14.4%); standing dead (644.9 g/m2, 1.3%); litter (731.2 g/m2, 1.2%); and belowground (776.2 g/m2, 17.2%). Because our methods are consistently applied across each year, the data produced can be used to inform changes in biomass pools due to disturbance and subsequent recovery. As such, these data provide an important contribution to supporting the management of shrub‐dominated ecosystems for monitoring trends in carbon storage and assessing the impacts of wildfire and management activities, such as fuel management and restoration. There are no copyright restrictions on the data set; please cite this paper and the data package when using these data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special section grew out of a series of contributions presented in the context of the international symposium "Managing coastal change and climate vulnerability: questions of space, place and landscape", held at Hamburg University (Germany) in November 2015. All papers are based on the insight that coasts are partially solidified zones of fluid transition holding extreme and powerful dynamics which make it worthwhile exploring pressing issues of coastal change whether in relation to spatialities of nature conservation, conceptual issues concerning the environmental governance of the coast or the role of art as a facilitator in coastal management processes. Drawing on a rich array of qualitative methods and theoretical approaches, providing far-ranging empirical insights and reflecting reflexively on the implications of the research undertaken, the papers of this special section contribute to sketching out a nascent cultural geography of coastal change. In this introduction, we focus on the conceptual aspects which inform and cut across each of the contributions and which we envisage as conceptual building blocks meriting further investigation. Taken as a whole, the special section offers an insight into the potential of methodological and epistemological pluralism to empirically come to grips with the multifaceted character of coastal change while explicitly challenging prevailing scientific cultures and epistemologies of the coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In environmental governance for land and sea, the cultural is increasingly imbricated with the natural in the language of ecosystem services and the promise of integrated management. We are witnessing accelerated efforts to bring cultural and natural landscape character assessments into dialogue with other sorts of planning and governance mechanisms for coastal and marine environments. As land, sea, nature and culture are brought into closer correspondence, the coast assumes ever greater significance as a site and object of decision-making in planning and environmental governance. In this paper, I draw on the critical analytical techniques of cultural geography to argue that coasts suffer from definitional ambiguity and conceptual insufficiency, both of which are exemplified by landscape and seascape characterisation, with specific consequences for environmental governance. I argue that we need to (1) both recognise and destabilise the unhelpful dichotomy between land and sea embodied in landscape and seascape character assessments, which have their provenance in landscape architecture; and (2) engage new language and conceptual tools that help us to rethink coasts critically. To this end, later on this paper, I briefly discuss alternative ways of conceptualising the coast, for example as a liminal space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on the socio-cultural dimensions of perceiving and framing landscapes represent a well-established interdisciplinary field of research cutting across the disciplines of geography, anthropology and sociology. Most studies to date converge in the fact that they theoretically and methodologically revolve around textual and symbolic landscape approaches to investigate underlying social representations and practices permeating the physical land: littoral landscapes - to be understood as a subcategory of landscapes - have however received limited attention to date. The paper takes this gap as a starting point to conceptually explore the intersections of different approaches in landscape research for analysing the manifold bonds coastal inhabitants form with their coastal landscapes. The study draws on semi-structured interviews conducted with coastal inhabitants in the district of North Frisia (Germany). Interviews were analysed following Grounded Theory and refined by a linguistic indepth investigation to reveal different representations of the North Frisian coastscape nestling in coastal dweller's discourse. The analysis brought about aesthetic, genealogical and other interpretative repertoires saturated with a variety of linguistic characteristics developing locally bound patterns of coastscape attachment. The aim of the paper is twofold: first, it consists of an attempt to analytically combine research undertaken in the area of landscape with research on coastal landscapes to uncover the multifarious relations coastal inhabitants form with their livelihoods. Second, it reflects on the epistemological challenges of research on various coastal landscapes for managing coastal change in terms of a "coast-multiple". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake riparian areas provide wildlife habitat for a wide variety of species. Residential development throughout such lakeshore areas of the United States has increased exponentially in recent decades. Awareness of the vulnerability and importance of lakeshore ecosystems has increased concurrently. Lakeshore habitat restoration projects have been implemented to mitigate some of the negative impacts of human shoreline development, and containerized ( CT) trees are frequently one of the highest costs associated with such restoration projects. As an alternative, we tested the effectiveness of using dormant bare-root ( BR) trees in restoration projects along two lakeshores in northern Wisconsin, U.S.A. In addition, we experimented using BR stock that was incorporated into gravel medium at a local nursery and planted later in the summer months. We monitored growth and survival of four native tree species in these three planting treatments over a 3-4-year period. CT red maple ( Acer rubra), paper birch ( Betula paperifera), and northern red oak ( Quercus rubra) increased in size significantly faster than BR and/or gravel culture ( GC) counterparts, whereas CT showy mountain ash ( Sorbus decora) growth rates were similar to those of BR and GC stock. Mortality was generally low, but for those species/planting treatments with higher mortality (paper birch and red oak), CT trees were more likely to survive than BR or GC trees. Our results show that the success of deciduous BR and/or GC tree stock relative to CT trees is species dependent, and for some species, CT trees' higher growth rates and survivorship could offset their higher costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been calls for greater inclusion of Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) in applied ecosystems research and ecological assessments. The Intergovernmental Science‐Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment (GA) is the first global scale assessment to systematically engage with ILK and issues of concern to Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLC). In this paper, we review and reflect on how the GA worked with ILK and lessons learned.The GA engaged in critical evaluation and synthesis of existing evidence from multiple sources, using several deliberative steps: having specific authors and questions focus on ILK; integrating inputs from ILK across all chapters; organizing dialogue workshops; issuing calls for contributions to identify other forms and systems of knowledge; and encouraging IPLC to be key stakeholders and contributors.We identify content areas where attention to ILK was particularly important for questions in applied ecology. These include: (a) enriching understandings of nature and its contributions to people, including ecosystem services; (b) assisting in assessing and monitoring ecosystem change; (c) contributing to international targets and scenario development to achieve global goals like the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the Sustainable Development Goals and (d) generating inclusive and policy‐relevant options for people and nature. However, challenges in engaging different knowledge systems were also encountered.Policy implications. The Intergovernmental Science‐Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment (GA) demonstrated the importance of Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLC) to global biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. Initiatives seeking to engage Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) can learn from the experience of the GA. Successfully bringing ILK into assessment processes and policy arenas requires a deliberate framework and approach from the start that facilitates recognition of different knowledge systems, identifies questions relevant at various scales, mobilizes funding and recognizes time required and engages networks of stakeholders with diverse worldviews. In turn, fostering inclusion of ILK and partnering with IPLC can help future assessments understand how natural and cultural systems co‐produce each other, identify trends of change through diverse biocultural indicators and improve sustainable development goals and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we revisit the state of deep‐water fisheries to the west of the British Isles and aim to provide an overview on the key drivers behind community changes along continental margins. The deep‐water fisheries to the west of the British Isles that extend from the shelf‐slope break down to the lower slope and along banks and seamounts of the Rockall Basin, mainly target blue ling Molva dypterygia, roundnose grenadier Coryphaenoides rupestris, orange roughy Hoplostethus atlanticus, with by‐catches of black scabbardfish Aphanopus carbo and tusk Brosme brosme. These fishing grounds experienced a long period of exhaustive exploitation until the early 2000s, but subsequently the implementation of management strategies has helped to relieve excessive fishing pressure. It is widely accepted that a better understanding of the long‐term implications of disturbance is needed to understand patterns in deep‐water communities and what sustainable use and exploitation of resources might look like in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dispersal as well as population growth is a key demographic process that determines population dynamics. However, determining the effects of environmental covariates on dispersal from spatial‐temporal abundance proxy data is challenging owing to the complexity of model specification for directional dispersal permeability and the extremely high computational loads for numerical integration. In this paper, we present a case study estimating how environmental covariates affect the dispersal of Japanese sika deer by developing a spatially explicit state‐space matrix model coupled with an improved numerical integration technique (Markov chain Monte Carlo with particle filters). In particular, we explored the environmental drivers of inhomogeneous range expansion, characteristic of animals with short dispersal. Our model framework successfully reproduced the complex population dynamics of sika deer, including rapid changes in densely populated areas and distribution fronts within a decade. Furthermore, our results revealed that the inhomogeneous range expansion of sika deer seemed to be primarily caused by the dispersal process (i.e., movement barriers in fragmented forests) rather than population growth. Our state‐space matrix model enables the inference of population dynamics for a broad range of organisms, even those with low dispersal ability, in heterogeneous landscapes, and could address many pressing issues in conservation biology and ecosystem management. We present a case study estimating how environmental elements affect the dispersal of Japanese sika deer by developing a spatially explicit state‐space matrix model coupled with an improved numerical integration technique. Our results revealed that the inhomogeneous range expansion of sika deer was primarily caused by the dispersal process (i.e., movement barriers in fragmented forests) rather than population growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decades, there has been increasing interest in the role of the university as a key stakeholder and agent in innovation and regional development. In the face of new technologies, especially growing digitalisation and new societal and economic challenges, this paper proposes to reconsider the role of the university in the innovation system. More particularly, we introduce the idea of a business model for the entrepreneurial university of the future and develop nine conceptual theses. The theses are based on four elements of a business model concept: value proposition, creation, delivery and capture. With the help of the nine theses, we aim to trigger new discussions regarding policy implications for the future university in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Grain for Green Program (GGP) was the most all‐embracing program of ecological reconstruction implemented in China. To estimate carbon storages and carbon sequestration potentials of the GGP forests, the study presented in the paper collected data spanning from 1999 to 2010, such as tree species, tree planting area relevant to the GGP, empirical growth curves suitable for different planted tree species in China, as well as wood density (WD), biomass expansion factor (BEF), carbon fraction (CF) of different trees species, and estimated the carbon storages of the biomasses of GGP forests from 1999 to 2050. It showed that the total carbon storage of the biomass of GGP forests was 320.29 Tg upon the GGP completion in 2010; the total carbon sequestration is higher during the early GGP‐implementation stage than at the late GGP‐implementation stage, and the annual mean carbon sequestration of GGP forests was 26.69 Tg/year. The potential of GGP forests as carbon sink presented an increasing increment. In China, the potential increments of GGP forests as carbon sinks were estimated to be 397.34, 604.00, 725.53, and 808.90 Tg in 2020, 2030, 2040, and 2050, respectively, and the carbon sequestration rates were 1.72, 0.89, 0.52, and 0.36 Mg ha−1 year−1, respectively, corresponding to 2010s, 2020s, 2030s, and 2040s. Therefore, the GGP forests had bigger carbon sequestration capacities and potentials in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The successful movement of individuals is fundamental to life. Facilitating these movements by promoting ecological connectivity has become a central theme in ecology and conservation. Urban areas contain more than half of the world's human population, and their potential to support biodiversity and to connect their citizens to nature is increasingly recognized. Promoting ecological connectivity within these areas is essential to reaching this potential. However, our current understanding of ecological connectivity within urban areas appears limited., We reviewed the published scientific literature to assess the state-of-the-art of ecological connectivity research in urban areas, summarized trends in study attributes and highlighted knowledge gaps., We found 174 papers that investigated ecological connectivity within urban areas. These papers addressed either structural (48) or functional connectivity (111), and some addressed both (15), but contained substantial geographic and taxonomic biases. These papers rarely defined the aspect of connectivity they were investigating and objective descriptions of the local urban context were uncommon. Formulated hypotheses or a priori predictions were typically unstated and many papers used suboptimal study designs and methods., We suggest future studies explicitly consider and quantify the landscape within their analyses and make greater use of available and rapidly developing tools and methods for measuring functional connectivity (e.g. biotelemetry or landscape genetics). We also highlight the need for studies to clearly define how the terms ' urban' and ' connectivity' have been applied., Knowledge gaps in ecological connectivity in urban areas remain, partly because the field is still in its infancy and partly because we must better capitalize on the state-of-the-art technological and analytical techniques that are increasingly available. Well-designed studies that employed high-resolution data and powerful analytical techniques highlight our abilities to quantify ecological connectivity in urban areas. These studies are exemplary, setting the standards for future research to facilitate data-driven and evidence-based biodiversity-friendly infrastructure planning in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal management and nature conservation may be regarded as sets of profoundly spatial practices with decisive influence on the material and societal construction of coastal landscapes and seascapes. In this context, practices of coastal management are active in the spatial ordering of the land and the sea, oftentimes producing sharp lines of demarcation in place of a fluid boundary zone. Similarly, practices of nature conservation can play a significant role in the socio-spatial separation of nature and culture at the coast. This paper places analytical focus on the diverse socio-spatial imaginaries or metageographies and processes of boundary- making underlying practices of coastal protection and nature conservation. Interpretative analysis of a climate adaptation strategy for the Wadden Sea coastal landscape of Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany and interviews with key participants demonstrate the relevance of attention to multiple socio-spatial constructions of the coast in a policy-making context. It is concluded that policy strategies need to engage more explicitly with multiple cultural geographies of the coast, and the spatial implications of distinct stakeholder perspectives. It is further evident that both coastal protection and nature conservation constitute regionally specific and culturally situated practices, which cannot be addressed solely from technical perspectives, specific to individual disciplines and professional ways of working. Providing space for the emergence of new and alternative socio-spatial imaginaries of the coast may facilitate the future management of coastal change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Quantitative biological assessment indices overcome many of the challenges faced when trying to convey the status or trends of complex biological communities with large natural variability, particularly when attempting to evaluate the impacts from human influences. In this paper, we developed a biological condition index for shallow (<30 m) rocky reefs of the Southern California Bight, evaluated its ability to distinguish healthy from stressed sites, and then applied the index by examining relative correlations with fishing and water quality as ecosystem stressors. We utilized a multivariate, predictive index based on the ratio of observed‐to‐expected taxa (O/E). O/E indices are relatively common in freshwater environments, but rarely utilized in marine systems and never before applied to rocky reefs. Based on expectations drawn from region‐wide reference reefs with the least fishing or water quality stress, the O/E index predicts expected taxa at a new site based on environmental factors such as sea surface temperature, reef area, and slope, among others. The observed taxa at that site are then compared to the predicted taxa to generate index scores; values near unity indicate intact, reference‐like communities. Overall, the accuracy of the index was high, with minimal bias, and precision exceeded the performance of an index based on null models (i.e., indices that did not account for natural gradients). The mean index score was significantly higher among reference sites than stressed sites; however, sensitivity was low, as 84% of stressed sites had scores within the range of reference sites. Ultimately, fishing pressure was more correlated with changes in index scores from the non‐reference data set than was water quality pressure. This study demonstrates that a multivariate predictive index is feasible in rocky reef assessment and illuminates additional investigative work to continue to advance index development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A better understanding of the effects of exotic species is fundamental for ecosystem management, given that biological invasions are major agents of change affecting native biodiversity worldwide. However, exotic species can also have positive effects on native communities, for instance by providing additional food sources., We reviewed dietary studies in the scientific literature published between 1980 and 2016 in order to examine the role of exotic mammals in the diets of 42 terrestrial species of the mammalian order Carnivora from South America. We recorded information about species' characteristics and analysed the ways in which they relate to exotic mammal consumption., We found 62 references in which 11 carnivores from four families were reported to consume exotic mammals. Using only dietary studies in which the frequency of occurrence of each prey item was presented, we compiled 152 cases from 56 papers., The frequency of occurrence of exotic mammals in the diet of South American carnivores reached on average 21%. The more common prey-carnivore interactions occurred with exotic lagomorphs, while exotic ungulates were less frequently consumed and were only preyed upon by pumas Puma concolor. Consumers with mainly carnivorous habits consumed exotic mammals more frequently than frugivorous or omnivorous species., The carnivore species and the location of the study area influenced the frequency of occurrence of exotic mammals in the diets described. Certain carnivores, including the puma, culpeo fox Lycalopex culpaeus, Pampas fox Lycalopex gimnocercus, lesser grison Galictis cuja and Molina's hog-nosed skunk Conepatus chinga, consumed more exotic mammals than average, and the occurrence of exotic mammals was the highest in the diets of carnivores in the southwestern regions of South America., Exotic mammals in South America can create new food web interactions in the native carnivore community and can serve as an important food resource for some native species. This is particularly true in human-transformed landscapes, where native prey populations have declined. Thus, it is important to consider the role of exotic mammals in the conservation of native carnivore populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Grasslands play an important role in feeding the growing human population by supporting dairy and livestock production. The purpose of this paper was to improve the representation of carbon (C) allocation processes in ecosystem models, and to understand the sensitivity of simulated grass biomass to model parameters, providing guidance for future environmental change research. We used the Regional Hydro‐Ecologic Simulation System to compare estimates of above and belowground biomass for C allocation strategies based on plant growth, resource use, and a newly developed HYBRID approach that integrates the first two allocation schemes. Observed values of biomass at seven grassland sites are used to compare performance of these three allocation strategies. Partial ranked correlation coefficients are then calculated to assess parameter importance and sensitivity under current and future climate conditions. We found that both resource use and plant growth play a role in simulating dynamic C allocation in grass biomass over time, indicating the need for the HYBRID approach to capture grassland C allocation. Parameter importance was site‐specific under increased temperatures, enhanced carbon dioxide, and changed precipitation. Site‐specific parameter importance also yielded insight into limiting resources (i.e., energy, moisture) at sites and subsequent effects on ecological processes like photosynthesis and allocation. This work increases our understanding of C allocation in ecosystem models related to grasses, and guides what model parameters may require further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantification of ecosystem services ( ES) is an important step in operationalizing the concept for management and decision-making. With the exponential increase in ES research, ES have become a 'catch-all phrase', which some suggest has led to a poorly defined, impractical and ambiguous concept. An overview of the methods used in ES quantification is needed to examine their scientific rigour and provide guidelines for selecting appropriate measures., We present a systematic review of 405 peer-reviewed ES research papers to address the question: 'Is the biophysical and socio-economic reality of ES adequately quantified? First, we considered whether ES measures are scientifically rigorous enough by considering four predefined criteria (the type of data used, quantification of uncertainty, validation done and data reported). Secondly, using a novel approach, we determined which part of the ES cascade was measured: the ecosystem property, function, service, benefit or value., Our results showed that each of the 21 ES analysed had on average 24 different measures, which may indicate the complex reality of ES and/or suggest a potential lack of consensus on what constitutes an ES. We found that uncertainty is often not included and validation mostly missing., When analysing which part(s) of the ES cascade each measure corresponded to, we found that for regulating ES, ecosystem properties and functions (ecological aspects) are more commonly quantified (67% of measures). Conversely for provisioning ES, benefits and values (socio-economic aspects) are more commonly quantified (68%). Cultural ES are predominantly quantified using scores (35%)., In conclusion, ES appear to be poorly quantified in many cases, as often only one side of the cascade is considered (either the ecological or socio-economic side) and oversimplified and variable indicators are often used., Policy implications. This review provides a detailed overview of ecosystem services ( ES) quantification (ranging from simple scores to advanced methods) with the aim to support future ES quantification and ultimately the successful application of the ES concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoplankton (eutrophication, biogeochemical) models are important tools for ecosystem research and management, but they generally have not been updated to include modern biology. Here, we present a dynamic, mechanistic, molecular-level (i.e. gene, transcript, protein, metabolite) model of Anabaena - nitrogen interaction. The model was developed using the pattern-oriented approach to model definition and parameterization of complex agent-based models. It simulates individual filaments, each with individual cells, each with genes that are expressed to yield transcripts and proteins. Cells metabolize various forms of N, grow and divide, and differentiate heterocysts when fixed N is depleted. The model is informed by observations from 269 laboratory experiments from 55 papers published from 1942 to 2014. Within this database, we identified 331 emerging patterns, and, excluding inconsistencies in observations, the model reproduces 94% of them. To explore a practical application, we used the model to simulate nutrient reduction scenarios for a hypothetical lake. For a 50% N only loading reduction, the model predicts that N fixation increases, but this fixed N does not compensate for the loading reduction, and the chlorophyll a concentration decreases substantially (by 33%). When N is reduced along with P, the model predicts an additional 8% reduction (compared to P only). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Kroll, Hayes & MacCracken (in press) Concerns regarding the use of amphibians as metrics of critical biological thresholds: a comment on Welsh and Hodgson 2008 . Freshwater Biology, criticised our paper [ Welsh & Hodgson (2008) Amphibians as metrics of critical biological thresholds in forested headwater streams of the Pacific Northwest. Freshwater Biology, 53, 1470–1488] proposing the use of headwater stream amphibians as metrics of stream status in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). They argued that our analysis of previously published data reflected circular reasoning because we reached the same conclusions as the earlier studies. In fact, we conducted a meta-analysis to address new questions about the optimum values and thresholds (based on animal densities) for abiotic stream attributes that were found to be important to these amphibians in earlier studies. This is analogous to determining blood pressure thresholds or fat-to-weight ratios that facilitate predicting human health based on meta-analyses of earlier data from studies that found significant correlations between these variables and relative health. 2. Kroll et al. argued that we should not make inference to environmental conditions across the PNW from data collected in California. We collected data from northern California and southern Oregon, the southern extent of the PNW. We made inference to the Klamath-Siskiyou and North Coast bioregions, and argued that available research on these headwater species indicates that our results have the potential to be applied throughout the PNW with minimal regional adjustments. 3. Kroll et al. contended that we need reproductive success, survival estimates and density estimates, corrected for detection probabilities, to establish relationships between animal density and stream attributes. Reproductive success and survival estimates are important for demographic modelling and life tables, but they are not necessary to demonstrate meaningful relationships with abiotic conditions. Both corrected occupancy estimates and individual detection probabilities are unnecessary, and take multiple sampling efforts per site, or onerous mark release and re-capture studies, respectively, to determine accurately. 4. Kroll et al. questioned the use of stream amphibians as a surrogate for measuring physical parameters, such as water temperature, claiming that measuring the physical parameters directly is more efficient. Here they misinterpreted the main point of our paper: stream organisms are integrators of what happens in a catchment, and carefully selected species can serve as surrogates for the biotic community and the relative condition of the network environment. 5. Kroll et al. claimed that we demonstrated weak inferences regarding ecosystem processes. We argue that by relating densities of stream amphibians with changes along abiotic environmental gradients that are commonly affected by anthropogenic activities, we are establishing biological links to gradients that represent important ecosystem processes and identifying biometrics that can be used to quantify the status (health) of these gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kotiaho & Moilanen (2015) highlighted what they call a conceptual flaw in our study (Egoh et al. 2014) and some operational flaws. Here, we respond to these., According to Kotiaho & Moilanen (2015), the conceptual flaw is that we supposedly neglect both the magnitude of degradation and the magnitude of improvement of the ecosystem condition expected due to restoration in the original paper (Egoh et al. 2014). However, we took magnitude of degradation into account in the paper (Egoh et al. 2014) by not including areas with habitats and species in favourable conservation status and also excluding artificial surfaces such as urban areas., We argue that the operational flaws, the authors cite (specifically with respect to the inclusion of restoration cost), were taken out of context and the calculations on the effective area requiring restoration within a grid cell were not well understood by the authors., In the original paper (Egoh et al. 2014), restoration cost was only included in one analysis to investigate the effects of including different criteria on the area selected. Also, each grid cell selected contained only areas defined as restorable in our analysis., Synthesis and applications. The points raised by Kotiaho & Moilanen (2015) are surely relevant and pertinent to the general discussion on restoration efforts, but when applied to our study, these points are out of context. Areas identified for restoration should consider magnitude of degradation as in our study. However, the inclusion of cost should be carefully considered; in our case, we used a proxy for cost only to understand the implication of including many criteria in identifying priority areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of 311 papers on wetland restoration, only 15 concerned large-scale experimentation in restoration sites. Most papers described what happened, reported on small field experiments, or discussed restoration targets. While these are important topics, our opinion is that we lose significant opportunities to learn how to recover populations, community structure, and ecosystem processes, and we limit our ability to document variability and whole-system responses, when we do not experiment at large scales. We suggest that, wherever possible, large projects facilitate field tests of alternative restoration approaches. Furthermore, we encourage researchers to take advantage of major restoration efforts by conducting large field experiments, assessing multiple responses, and offering restoration guidance in an adaptive framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grassland agriculture is experiencing a number of threats including declining profitability and loss of area to other land uses including expansion of the built environment as well as from cropland and forestry. The use of grassland as a natural resource either in terms of existing vegetation and land cover or planting of new species for bioenergy and other nonfood applications presents an opportunity, and potential solution, to maintain the broader ecosystem services that perennial grasslands provide as well as to improve the options for grassland farmers and their communities. This paper brings together different grass or grassland-based studies and considers them as part of a continuum of strategies that, when also combined with improvements in grassland production systems, will improve the overall efficiency of grasslands as an important natural resource and enable a greater area to be managed, replanted or conserved. These diversification options relate to those most likely to be available to farmers and land owners in the marginally economic or uneconomic grasslands of middle to northern Europe and specifically in the UK. Grasslands represent the predominant global land use and so these strategies are likely to be relevant to other areas although the grass species used may vary. The options covered include the use of biomass derived from the management of grasses in the urban and semi urban environment, semi-natural grassland systems as part of ecosystem management, pasture in addition to livestock production, and the planting and cropping of dedicated energy grasses. The adoption of such approaches would not only increase income from economically marginal grasslands, but would also mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from livestock production and help fund conservation of these valuable grassland ecosystems and landscapes, which is increasingly becoming a challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenological events, such as bud burst, are strongly linked to ecosystem processes in temperate deciduous forests. However, the exact nature and magnitude of how seasonal and interannual variation in air temperatures influence phenology is poorly understood, and model-based phenology representations fail to capture local- to regional-scale variability arising from differences in species composition. In this paper, we use a combination of surface meteorological data, species composition maps, remote sensing, and ground-based observations to estimate models that better represent how community-level species composition affects the phenological response of deciduous broadleaf forests to climate forcing at spatial scales that are typically used in ecosystem models. Using time series of canopy greenness from repeat digital photography, citizen science data from the USA National Phenology Network, and satellite remote sensing-based observations of phenology, we estimated and tested models that predict the timing of spring leaf emergence across five different deciduous broadleaf forest types in the eastern United States. Specifically, we evaluated two different approaches: (i) using species-specific models in combination with species composition information to 'upscale' model predictions and (ii) using repeat digital photography of forest canopies that observe and integrate the phenological behavior of multiple representative species at each camera site to calibrate a single model for all deciduous broadleaf forests. Our results demonstrate variability in cumulative forcing requirements and photoperiod cues across species and forest types, and show how community composition influences phenological dynamics over large areas. At the same time, the response of different species to spatial and interannual variation in weather is, under the current climate regime, sufficiently similar that the generic deciduous forest model based on repeat digital photography performed comparably to the upscaled species-specific models. More generally, results from this analysis demonstrate how in situ observation networks and remote sensing data can be used to synergistically calibrate and assess regional parameterizations of phenology in models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims The identification of diagnostic or indicator species with high fidelity to a given group of sites is an important step for the ecological characterization of habitats or community types. The determination of the degree of fidelity to a target group is traditionally performed by analysing the concentration of species occurrences or abundances in different groups of sites. Surprisingly, although one of the main purposes of indicator species analysis is to give ecological meaning to groups of sites, none of the methods proposed to date take into account the functional ecology of diagnostic species. Therefore, the question we address here is: can we use functional traits of species to improve the diagnostic value of indicator species? Location Sand dune communities in central Italy. Methods In this paper we propose a two-step procedure for incorporating the functional traits of a given species in the evaluation of its diagnostic value. For a given set of plots that are classified into different groups, first the indicator species that best characterize each group of plots are identified with the usual statistical tools based on species occurrences. Next, the functional association between the indicator species and the target groups of plots is tested by measuring the functional distance between the indicator species and the centroids of all plots in the target group. A species is positively associated with a group if its mean functional distance from all plot centroids in the group is significantly lower than expected. Results In this example, we show that the functional association of the indicator species with a given habitat type is represented by less species than the association highlighted solely through species occurrences and/or abundances. This subset of species appears to better characterize the functional ecology of coastal dune plant assemblages and shows a higher diagnostic value in comparison with those obtained through the traditional indicator analysis. Conclusions As functional traits are the main ecological attributes by which different species influence ecosystem processes, we believe that the methodology proposed here provides a relevant tool for ecological applications as distinct as vegetation science, conservation biology or landscape management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species are not equally important for the functioning of communities. This fact is widely recognized and the term 'keystone species' has been introduced for the most important members of communities. In a recent paper, Power et al. claim for methods suitable for a priori identification of keystone species, which is an urgent problem in conservation biology. Another problem is the scarcity of their quantitativedescription. In this paper, we propose an index for characterizing keystone species reflecting their role in food web flow networks. We present some calculations for characterizing the role of keystones in weighted webs and discuss some problems of food web dynamics. Our keystone index refers well to keystones only if trophic interactions areof prime importance in a community. We further analyze the relationship between keystone species and the reliability of network flow. Keystones make network flow less reliable. Finally, we discuss some problems of stability and reliability in ecological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a case study from Pelgon County, Tibet Autonomous Region in China, this paper aims to enrich the existing literature on why and how applying carrying capacity to rangeland management may not be feasible even though it is claimed to be a scientific approach. The application of carrying capacity to rangeland management based on equilibrium assumptions has been the very essence of state policy on range management and pastoralism in China. Even if the concept of carrying capacity is relevant to rangeland management depending on rangeland ecosystems, a meaningful application depends on how carrying capacity is determined. This case study reveals that the determination of carrying capacity in practice has more to do with political and economic factors than with ecological factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital games play an important role in the lives of millions of people worldwide. The games industry is expanding rapidly, and games are developing in sophistication and complexity. Games (and gaming approaches to other activities) are increasingly being used for serious or social purposes in a wide range of fields, including biodiversity conservation. This paper evaluates the potential of 'conservation games' (digital games that promote conservation). It explores ways in which conservation might make use of digital games in the areas of (1) education and behavior change, (2) fundraising, and (3) research, monitoring, and planning. It discusses the risk that games may distract gamers from the real world and its problems or provide misleadingly simple narratives about conservation issues. We conclude that there is great potential for conservation to take more advantage of digital games, provided that conservation games are developed in collaboration with game design specialists, have specific rather than general aims, target a specific and conservation-relevant audience, and (above all) are fun to play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Southern Ocean is one of the most rapidly changing ecosystems on the planet due to the effects of climate change and commercial fishing for ecologically important krill and fish. Because sea ice loss is expected to be accompanied by declines in krill and fish predators, decoupling the effects of climate and anthropogenic changes on these predator populations is crucial for ecosystem-based management of the Southern Ocean. We reviewed research published from 2007 to 2014 that incorporated very high-resolution satellite imagery to assess distribution, abundance, and effects of climate and other anthropogenic changes on populations of predators in polar regions. Very high-resolution imagery has been used to study 7 species of polar animals in 13 papers, many of which provide methods through which further research can be conducted. Use of very high-resolution imagery in the Southern Ocean can provide a broader understanding of climate and anthropogenic forces on populations and inform management and conservation recommendations. We recommend that conservation biologists continue to integrate high-resolution remote sensing into broad-scale biodiversity and population studies in remote areas, where it can provide much needed detail. Aplicaciones de Imágenes de Muy Alta Resolución en el Estudio y Conservación de Grandes Depredadores en el Océano Antártico [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of shrimp aquaculture in Ecuador caused massive ecological damage, particularly in the mangrove areas. Consequently, the livelihood of the population linked to this ecosystem was disrupted. Faced with environmental dispossession, the population engaged in the defence of mangroves by articulating a national grassroots movement. In 2007, this movement implemented a novel identity politics strategy that linked mangrove ecosystem to indigeneity, and positioned itself as the 'Ancestral Peoples of the Mangrove Ecosystem' ( PAEM). This paper focuses on the political economy of the shrimp-farming industry in Ecuador, showing the interrelation between environmental dispossession, collective action and identity formation, and analysing how this novel political identity is understood by different members of this social movement. The work argues that PAEM refers to a category that is closely linked to the processes of mangrove defence, in direct opposition to the shrimp farmer's identity, rather than to an essentialized conception of identity based on 'nativeness'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composability is a systems architecture and design concept focusing on composing new systems from known components, designs, product lines, and reference architectures as opposed to focusing on 'blank sheet' designs based on requirements decomposition alone. The concept of composability has been a goal of the US Department of Defense (DoD) for many years, most recently taking the form of Platform-based Engineering. Despite this focus, the goal of effective modularity and design reuse has been somewhat elusive in the aerospace and defense sectors. This paper describes an ecosystem construct which incorporates market factors, business practices, and trends that occur in industries where composability and reuse have taken hold in order to identify a path forward for effective adoption of composability in the aerospace and defense marketplace. A number of examples of composable design are described, followed by proposals for necessary changes within the DoD ecosystem to facilitate its support. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 16 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National and international assessments are increasingly highlighting the unsustainable use of earth's natural resources in the face of population increase, growing material affluence and global change. In all likelihood, the use and degradation of natural resources will continue., In contrast to resource depletion, the concept of natural capital emphasises how the environment is an asset to be managed, to ensure that the benefits which flow from it are sustained for future generations. These benefits are the ecosystem goods and services upon which all people rely for their continued survival and well-being both now and, ideally, in perpetuity., Despite their importance, the evidence-base and quantitative understanding of links between biodiversity, ecosystem function and ecosystem services are insufficient to allow informed use and management. Moreover, the concepts of natural capital and ecosystem services are insufficiently mainstream to influence decisions that currently favour the production of food and fibre rather than less tangible services such as climate regulation, air and water purification, pollination or the contributions of environment to health., There are specific challenges to ecological science in this interdisciplinary endeavour: specifically, to develop frameworks for identifying and monitoring natural capital; to parameterise factors affecting ecosystem services and their resilience to change; to integrate the complexity of ecological systems into ecosystem service valuation; and to characterise the synergies and trade-offs between ecosystem services in different management and policy scenarios., Synthesis and applications. The five papers in this Special Profile exemplify just some of the leading work through which ecologists in the UK are contributing nationally and internationally to these needs, stemming from the UK National Ecosystem Assessment - the first national scale exercise of its type in the world. We expect a major, worldwide increase in work on ecosystem services and natural capital in future as decisions on ecosystem use of management are squeezed increasingly between the needs of exploitation and protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The papers presented in this special section address a range of matters regarding koala conservation. The first paper by Stratford et al. considers many of the cultural and political factors underlying the process of koala management and research. The authors recognize that koala management research has produced valuable information about koala biology and ecology but has been slow to generate data about organizational and policy processes and the cultural contexts in which we produce, disseminate, and recognize knowledge. For example, they point out that conflicting land-use values and disagreement among interest groups about how best to manage the ecosystems on which koalas depend are at the heart of the koala conservation debate. They recommend increased collaboration, cooperation, and trust among social and natural scientists in the conduct of koala conservation research, management, and policy as a means to reduce the conflict. The next five papers explore many methodological considerations in koala research and the application of research to management practice. Melzer et al. provide an overview of the distribution and abundance of koalas. They note that continued land clearance in many parts of New South Wales and Queensland confounds reliable knowledge about the distribution of koalas and poses threats to their viability. They call for regular national surveys of koalas and koala habitat distribution to address biases in past surveys and account for regional variation, habitat requirements of local populations, ecological functioning of riparian and fragmented habitats, and drought refugia. Sherwin et al. review the status of knowledge on koala genetics. The authors recommend that the genetic management of koalas be an integral part of conservation strategies and plans, but they warn that care must be taken in using concepts such as evolutionarily significant units and management units. Lunney et al. detail a case of habitat mapping as a means to k... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Answering the simple question, 'who's counting', reveals much about the spatial and cultural politics of ecosystem management. In this paper, I unite the concept of 'ecocolonisation' with the body of work on the politics of calculation. I argue that political technologies - including calculative techniques such as the enumeration of contamination levels - are a form of ecocolonisation that have considerable political effects on Indigenous communities. I explore the ways that historically connected Indigenous communities are divergently impacted by shellfish regulations and water pollution through an investigation of Boundary Bay, which straddles the Canada- US border on the Pacific coast. In closing, I suggest the on-going need to decolonise our understanding of calculative techniques for ecosystem management, and offer a more nuanced interpretation of space that accounts for both traditional boundaries and connected ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust ways to meet objectives of environmental conservation and social and economic development remain elusive. This struggle may in part be related to insufficient understanding of the feedbacks between conservation initiatives and social-ecological systems, specifically, the ways in which conservation initiatives result in social changes that have secondary effects on the environments targeted by conservation. To explore this idea, we sampled peer-reviewed articles addressing the social and environmental dimensions of conservation and coded each paper according to its research focus and characterization of these feedbacks. The majority of articles in our sample focused either on the effect of conservation initiatives on people (e.g., relocation, employment) or the effect of people on the environment (e.g., fragmentation, conservation efficacy of traditional management systems). Few studies in our sample empirically addressed both the social dynamics resulting from conservation initiatives and subsequent environmental effects. In many cases, one was measured and the other was discussed anecdotally. Among the studies that describe feedbacks between social and environmental variables, there was more evidence of positive (amplifying) feedbacks between social and environmental outcomes (i.e., undesirable social outcomes yielded undesirable environmental effects and desirable social outcomes yielded desirable environmental effects). The major themes within the sampled literature include conflict between humans and wild animals, social movements, adaptive comanagement, loss of traditional management systems, traditional ecological knowledge, human displacement and risks to livelihoods, and conservation and development. The narratives associated with each theme can serve as hypotheses for facilitating further discussion about conservation issues and for catalyzing future studies of the feedbacks between conservation and social-ecological systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on biodiversity conflicts and dispute management approaches. It cites the Moray Firth Seal Management Plan (MFSMP) which is a conflict management scheme that integrates the use of lethal predator control as a management strategy. It also notes a paper by J. R. A. Butler which argues that fishery stakeholder perceptions are a significant obstacle to the advancement of MFSMP. Moreover, it indicates the potential of seal-salmon fishery conflict to benefit from the MFSMP.

The future number of people inhabiting the planet will influence the impact over natural ecosystems. In consequence, the growth of the human population represents one of the most important challenges for the near future. In this paper we used population dynamic theory to analyze human population growth. The results suggest that human population growth exhibited important fluctuations during the last 2000 years. In particular two different phases during the last 400 years can be distinguished, a positive relationship with population size implying positive feedback processes, followed by a negative relationship with population size - suggesting that negative feedback processes have been operating during the last 45 years. Our results support the view that ecological concepts derived from population ecology can be useful for understanding human dynamics. While cooperation at low densities in animal populations reminds us the Boserupian view that population growth induces economic development and higher standards of living, competition at high densities reconciles ecological theory with the original Malthusian view. We conclude that the present reduction in human per capita growth rates appears to be consequence of different limiting factors operating in combination around the globe in a similar manner, except in Africa where the factors operating appears to be very different. Humans may achieve a stable equilibrium population in the next century but the possibility of a population collapse caused by second-order oscillations should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To accurately predict ecosystem responses induced by climate warming at local-to-global scales, models are in need of more precise knowledge of response during periods of environmental stress such as drought. In this paper, we studied environmental control of canopy-level water use efficiency (WUE) during drought at an eddy flux site in an oak-hickory forest in central Missouri, USA. Two consecutive severe droughts in the summers of 2006 and 2007 afforded coverage of a broad range of environmental conditions. We stratified data to obtain subranges that minimized cross-correlations among putative WUE-controlling factors. Our results showed that WUE was subject to control by atmospheric saturation deficit (ASD), soil water potential (SWP) and the ratio of diffuse to total photosynthetically active radiation ( If/ It). Generally, WUE was found to scale with 1/(ASD)0.5, consistent with predictions from stomatal optimization theory. In contrast, SWP and If/ It were related to WUE in a linear fashion. ASD was better correlated with WUE than either of the other two factors. It was also observed that the relationship between WUE and any single controlling factor was subject to influence of the other two. One such example was an opposite response of WUE to SWP between low and high ASD values, suggesting a breakdown of stomatal optimality under severe environmental stresses and a shift from optimal stomatal regulation to nonstomatal regulation at leaf scale. We have demonstrated that different data handling (stratified vs. nonstratified) or selection (hourly vs. daily) could lead to different conclusions on the relationship between WUE and its controls. For this reason, we recommend modelers to be cautious when applying WUE-response formulas at environmental conditions or at time scales different from those at which they are derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a number of papers have addressed the use of pedigrees in the study of wild populations, highlighting the value of pedigrees in conservation management. We used pedigrees to study the horses (Equus caballus) of Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland, USA, one of a small number of free-ranging animal populations that have been the subject of long-term studies. This population grew from 28 in 1968 to 175 in 2001, causing negative impacts on the island ecosystem. To minimize these effects, an immunocontraception program was instituted, and horse numbers are slowly decreasing. However, there is concern that this program may negatively affect the genetic health of the herd. We found that although mitochondrial DNA diversity is low, nuclear diversity is comparable to that of established breeds. Using genetic data, we verified and amended maternal pedigrees that had been primarily based on behavioral data and inferred paternity using genetic data along with National Park Service records of the historic ranges of males. The resulting pedigrees enabled us to examine demography, founder contributions, rates of inbreeding and loss of diversity over recent generations, as well as the level of kinship among horses. We then evaluated the strategy of removing individuals (using nonlethal means) with the highest mean kinship values. Although the removal strategy increased the retained diversity of founders and decreased average kinship between individuals, it disproportionately impacted sizes of the youngest age classes. Our results suggest that a combined strategy of controlled breeding and immunocontraception would be more effective than removing individuals with high mean kinships in preserving the long-term health and viability of the herd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]