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Rain‐triggered landslides cause significant socioeconomic loss and long‐term ecological impact, disrupting topsoil and seed banks and creating unfavourable conditions for vegetation establishment. Although hazard management effectively reduces landslide risk, most management plans primarily focus on the societal impacts (loss of property and human lives), while environmental impacts related to landslide occurrence and recurrence are often overlooked. The role of different vegetation types in mitigation strategies remains uncertain due to the time and spatial constraints of traditional field study methods. Therefore, the role of vegetation in landslide restoration should be reconsidered.In this study, we investigated post‐landslide vegetation recovery patterns, analysed the duration of vegetation recovery, identified factors influencing these patterns, examined the role of forests in occurrence and recurrence probability and explored the implications of these findings for each element within an integrated management framework for landslide restoration.We utilised long‐term landslide inventory data (1924–2018) covering the entire city of Hong Kong (~1100 km2) and combined it with structural data derived from airborne LiDAR scanning in 2020 to capture landslide recovery.Our findings revealed significant differences in recovery trajectories between the main bodies and foot areas of scars, with the former taking approximately 46 years to recover and the latter recovering in about 38 years. Scar age, average wind speed, elevation and proximity to the forest were identified as key factors influencing structural recovery on scars, while the proximity to forest also regulated recovery rate of scars. We observed decreased landslide occurrence in forested areas, with recurrent landslides primarily appearing on older, unrecovered scars on barren hillsides.Synthesis and applications: Our research highlights the dynamic patterns, recovery time and drivers of vegetation recovery on landslide scars; and the higher probability of landslide occurrence in non‐forest areas and increased recurrence on bare, low vegetated scars. This information provides valuable insights for informing restoration efforts and managing landslide‐prone areas. Such knowledge is crucial for developing effective mitigation strategies and enhancing the resilience of vulnerable ecosystems facing climate change and increased frequency of extreme weather events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity net gain is a policy focus worldwide, acknowledging ongoing losses of biodiversity to development, and a commitment to offsetting any residual impacts on biodiversity elsewhere. At least 37 countries have mandatory offsetting policies, and a further 64 countries enable voluntary offsets. Offsets rely on credible and evidence‐based methods to quantify biodiversity losses and gains.Following the introduction of the United Kingdom's Environment Act in November 2021, all new developments requiring planning permission in England must demonstrate a biodiversity net gain of at least 10% biodiversity net gain from 2024, calculated using a statutory biodiversity metric framework. The metric uses habitat as a proxy for biodiversity, scoring habitats' intrinsic distinctiveness and current condition.We carried out a study of the metric's performance across England in terms of outcomes for biodiversity. We used generalized linear mixed models to regress baseline biodiversity units against five long‐established single‐attribute proxies for biodiversity (species richness, individual abundance, number of threatened species, mean species range and mean species range/population change). Data were gathered for species belonging to three commonly used indicator taxa (vascular plants, butterflies and birds) from 24 sites, including all terrestrial broad habitats except urban.In baseline assessments, metric‐derived biodiversity units correlated with most plant biodiversity variables, but not with any of the bird or butterfly biodiversity variables used in this study. Plant species recorded in habitats with higher baseline biodiversity units had slightly more restricted ranges (slope −16.22 ± 1.52, p < 0.001) on average and had shown stronger past declines (slope −0.02 ± 0.00, p < 0.001) than those in habitats with lower baseline biodiversity units. Each additional baseline biodiversity unit was associated with a 1% increase in plant species richness (p < 0.01).Synthesis and applications: Using the statutory biodiversity metric to define 10% biodiversity net gain without additional species‐focused conservation management is likely to translate into small gains for plant biodiversity, and negligible gains for birds and butterflies. We make specific recommendations to improve the metric's efficacy in achieving desirable biodiversity outcomes. Our results provide a valuable case study for other countries interested in developing metrics to support biodiversity net gain policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wolf (Canis lupus) is arguably the most successful species at recolonizing its now human‐dominated former ranges in Europe and North America. Over the centuries while the wolf was absent, humans have transformed ecosystems to a large extent. In this paper, we highlight key aspects of these human‐modified ecosystems that include changes to (meso)carnivore communities, wolves themselves (genetics, behaviour), woody plant communities and the playing field for predator–prey interactions (landscape structure).We argue that the recognition of the novelty of human‐modified ecosystems logically leads to novel pathways of how wolves can influence ecosystem functioning. Thus far, the ecological impacts of wolves in human‐dominated systems have largely been predicted based on the documented effects they have on prey species or lower trophic levels in well‐preserved systems with low human impact. However, wolves in human‐modified ecosystems will engage in an array of novel interactions and potential novel trophic cascades that do not occur in more natural ecosystems with lower human impact.This should encourage us to re‐assess the questions we ask about wolf impacts in novel systems. A promising direction for future studies is exploring what novel interactions establish and under what conditions wolves can exert their ecosystem impacts (context dependence) in the human‐modified ecosystems wolves are recolonizing.Policy implications. Understanding these novel interactions and the context dependence of ecosystem impacts could guide us to act to improve conditions to enable wolves to exert their ecosystem impacts again. These novel interactions may be the true ecological and societal value of having wolves returning to human‐modified landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial ecosystems are shaped by interacting top‐down and bottom‐up processes, with the magnitude of top‐down control by large carnivores largely depending on environmental productivity. While carnivore‐induced numerical effects on ungulate prey populations have been demonstrated in large, relatively undisturbed ecosystems, whether large carnivores can play a similar role in more human‐dominated systems is a clear knowledge gap. As humans influence both predator and prey in a variety of ways, the ecological impacts of large carnivores can be largely modified. We quantified the interactive effects of human activities and large carnivore presence on red deer (Cervus elaphus) population density and how their impacts interacted and varied with environmental productivity.Data on red deer density were collected based on a literature survey encompassing 492 study sites across 28 European countries. Variation in density across study sites was analysed using a generalized additive model in which productivity, carnivore presence (grey wolf, European lynx, Brown bear), human activities (hunting, intensity of human land‐use activity), site protection status and climatic variables served as predictors.The results showed that a reduction in deer density only occurred when wolf, lynx and bear co‐occurred within the same site. In the absence of large carnivores, red deer density varied along a productivity gradient without a clear pattern. Although a linear relationship with productivity in the presence of all three large carnivore species was found, this was not statistically significant. Moreover, hunting by humans had a stronger effect than the presence of all large carnivores in reducing red deer density and red deer density increased with increasing intensity of human land use, with stronger large carnivore effects (all three carnivore species present) at sites with low human land‐use activities.Synthesis and applications. This study provides evidence for the dominant role played by humans (i.e. hunting, land‐use activities) relative to large carnivores in reducing red deer density across European human‐dominated landscapes. These findings suggest that when we would like large carnivores to exert numeric effects, we should focus on minimizing human impacts to allow the ecological impacts of large carnivores on ecosystem functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the staggering economic and ecological impacts of invasive animals, maps of their distribution are often only broad generalisations. Detailed knowledge about the spatial distribution of pest animals is crucial to efficiently reduce their numbers in open landscapes where no conservation fencing, or natural boundaries exist.Our case study tests a random but spatially balanced transect design to collect data on the distribution of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), a major destructive pest species in Australian ecosystems, and create distribution maps in relation to abiotic and biotic features. We surveyed an area of 650 km2 in the semi‐arid Flinders Ranges of South Australia using 95 transects (1.4 km length by 50 m width), that were placed with a method originally developed for surveying the ocean‐floor and applied for the first time in terrestrial ecosystems.According to a hurdle model fitted to our data set, the presence of rabbit warrens is influenced by geology, vegetation cover and the topographic wetness index, whereas the number of holes per warren depends on the ruggedness of the terrain, the vegetation cover and whether it has previously been destroyed.The model predicted the numbers of rabbit holes with up to 96.4% accuracy and at a previously unavailable resolution, providing a significant improvement in detail of the distribution of this feral animal.Synthesis and applications: A reliable, high‐resolution map of the distribution of rabbit densities was generated with surveying of less than 1% of the study area, information that can now be used to direct targeted conservation management efforts. This method is highly accurate and can still be improved in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy is growing at a rapid pace globally but as yet there has been little research on the effects of ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) developments on bats, many species of which are threatened or protected.We conducted a paired study at 19 ground‐mounted solar PV developments in southwest England. We used static detectors to record bat echolocation calls from boundaries (i.e. hedgerows) and central locations (open areas) at fields with solar PV development, and simultaneously at matched sites without solar PV developments (control fields). We used generalised linear mixed‐effect models to assess how solar PV developments and boundary habitat affected bat activity and species richness.The activity of six of eight species/species groups analysed was negatively affected by solar PV panels, suggesting that loss and/or fragmentation of foraging/commuting habitat is caused by ground‐mounted solar PV panels. Pipistrellus pipistrellus and Nyctalus spp. activity was lower at solar PV sites regardless of the habitat type considered. Negative impacts of solar PV panels at field boundaries were apparent for the activity of Myotis spp. and Eptesicus serotinus, and in open fields for Pipistrellus pygmaeus and Plecotus spp.Bat species richness was greater along field boundaries compared with open fields, but there was no effect of solar PV panels on species richness.Policy implications: Ground‐mounted solar photovoltaic developments have a significant negative effect on bat activity, and should be considered in appropriate planning legislation and policy. Solar photovoltaic developments should be screened in Environmental Impact Assessments for ecological impacts, and appropriate mitigation (e.g. maintaining boundaries, planting vegetation to network with surrounding foraging habitat) and monitoring should be implemented to highlight potential negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lowland heath is a priority habitat for conservation, nowadays largely managed for biodiversity. Historically, prescribed burning has been the principal management tool, but there are increasing calls to substitute burning with cutting to improve biodiversity outcomes. However, poor understanding of potential impacts compromises decision making.Our study was carried out in the New Forest National Park, the largest area of lowland heath in Europe. Using a multi‐trophic approach, we compared the ecological impact of prescribed burning with two types of vegetation cutting (swiping and baling) as management tools for biodiversity outcomes for up to 20 years after management. Indicators included: common standards monitoring (CSM) assessment; vegetation species assemblage; below‐ and above‐ground invertebrate biodiversity; and available food resources for two characteristic heathland birds—the Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata and the Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus.When compared with swiped sites, areas managed by prescribed burning resulted in: better habitat condition (assessed by CSM); higher cover of heathers; lower bracken cover; more areas of bare ground. We found no evidence that burning is detrimental for the investigated components of biodiversity.Cutting by swiping did not replicate the benefits of burning. Swiping supported grassland conditions that suit non‐heathland species. Baling resulted in habitat condition similar to prescribed burning but restricted replication of baled sites limited our conclusions. However, swiped sites supported high invertebrate abundance and diversity, including food resources for Dartford Warbler and Nightjar.Synthesis and applications. Removing burning from the management programme is likely to reduce heathland condition. Biodiversity is encouraged by a mosaic of management and more mobile species, such as birds, will exploit the resources provided by several management techniques. Including some cutting in a rotational regime is likely to be beneficial although prescribed burning should form the majority of the management programme, Lowland heathland differs fundamentally from upland heathland/moorland and it is not easy to transfer the results. Current heathland CSM does not adequately assess wider biodiversity on protected areas but is effectively an assessment of vegetation feature condition. Including invertebrates in surveys provides a more nuanced assessment of heathland condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to the depth of knowledge available for the enhancement of plant species diversity and ecosystem services through ecological restoration, our understanding of how ecological restoration impacts genetic diversity (GD) of plant species has not yet been synthesized.We performed a global meta‐analysis to examine whether ecological restoration improved GD of plant species in restored populations. First, we compared the GD of restored populations with reference or degraded populations. Second, we explored whether the influence of ecological restoration on plant GD varies between species with different characteristics (life form and threat status), between different restoration strategies (active/passive, seeding/planting, mixture/non‐mixture) or between different restoration times (<50 and ≥ 50 years; with an average of 29.3 years).The GD of restored populations was significantly lower (HE, 1.06%; PPB, 5.10%, and SWI, 4.95%) than in reference populations but was comparable to degraded populations. The inbreeding coefficient (FIS, the proportion by which the heterozygosity of an individual is reduced by inbreeding) was consistently comparable between restored populations and reference or degraded populations.Woody species but not herbs and forest but not grassland ecosystem had significantly lower GD in restored populations than in reference populations. Passive but not active restoration, seeding rather than planting, and mixing materials from different sources rather than using a single source, all significantly increased the GD of restored populations. When the restoration time was ≥50 years, in contrast to <50 years, GD was comparable between the restored and reference populations.Synthesis and applications. In general, ecological restoration did not significantly improve the GD of plant species compared to reference or degraded populations. This might be due in part to the relatively short restoration time. Using passive restoration, seeding, and mixed sources could significantly increase the GD of restored populations. We emphasize that GD should not be treated as a minor cobenefit of ecological restoration for other purposes and that the recovery of GD should be listed as a vital goal in future ecological restoration with plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alien species constitute one of the major threats to global biodiversity. Stopping alien species at an early stage, preferably before establishment, is crucial for the effectiveness of management actions. To enable early detection and prevent future introductions, knowledge of pathways of introduction and their absolute and relative importance is crucial.Based on an exhaustive impact assessment of alien species in Norway (all multicellular neobiota), the relations of taxonomy, lifestyle and ecological impact of alien species to their pathways of introduction are investigated. This taxonomically and ecologically unbiased dataset contains 2267 unique pathways of 1180 alien species.Ecological and taxonomic patterns indicate that terrestrial organisms were predominantly introduced by means of escape (mainly perennial plants escaped from gardens), parasites as contaminants (mainly fungi and insects parasitising plants), freshwater organisms by release (mainly vertebrates) and marine organisms as stowaways (mainly invertebrates and algae). Unaided introductions were most common among insects and marine organisms.Alien species with high ecological impact were mainly introduced along the same pathways as other alien species. In relative terms, high‐impact species were overrepresented among released species, even though this pathway was subordinate in absolute terms. The number of pathways and the overall introduction pressure were important predictors of ecological impact, especially of the species' invasion potential, and area of occupancy.Introduction rates of novel alien species have seen recent increases in all taxa and along almost all pathways. This acceleration was especially pronounced for insects and fungi introduced as contaminants and for marine organisms introduced as stowaways. In absolute terms, introduction rates were highest for plant escapes, reaching more than five novel species per year.Synthesis and applications. Introductions of new alien species cannot be prevented by closing one or two introduction pathways, since none can be singled out as the main pathway of high‐impact alien species. Yet each pathways closed makes a difference, as this reduces the overall introduction pressure. The highest priorities for management are the pathways that are easiest to address, such as release, and those with the highest volumes, such as plant trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of ecological replacements (analogue species to replace extinct taxa) to restore ecosystem functioning is a promising conservation tool. However, this approach is controversial, in part due to a paucity of data on interactions between analogue species and established taxa in the ecosystem.We conducted ecological surveys, comprehensively DNA barcoded an ecosystem's flora and inferred the diet of the introduced Aldabra giant tortoise, acting as an ecological replacement, to understand how it might have modified island plant communities on a Mauritian islet. Through further dietary analyses, we investigated consequential effects on the threatened endemic Telfair's skink.Dietary overlap between tortoises and skinks was greater than expected by chance. However, there was a negative correlation between tortoise and skink preferences in herbivory and minimal overlap in the plants most frequently consumed by the reptiles.Changes in the plant community associated with 7 years of tortoise grazing were characterised by a decrease in the percentage cover of native herbs and creepers, and an increase in the cover of an invasive herb when compared to areas without tortoises. However, tortoise dietary preferences themselves did not directly drive changes in the plant community.Tortoises successfully dispersed the seeds of an endemic palm, which in time may increase the extent of unique palm‐rich habitat. We found no evidence that tortoises have increased the extent of plant species hypothesised to be part of a lost Mauritian tortoise grazed community.Synthesis and applications. Due to a negative correlation in tortoise and skink dietary preferences and minimal overlap in the most frequently consumed taxa, the presence of tortoises is unlikely to have detrimental impacts on Telfair's skinks. Tortoise presence is likely to be beneficial to skinks in the long term by increasing the extent of palm‐rich habitat. Although tortoises are likely to play a role in controlling invasive plants, they are not a panacea for this challenge. After 7 years, tortoises have not resurrected a lost tortoise grazed community that we hypothesise might have existed in limited areas on the islet, indicating that further interventions may be required to restore this plant community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive alien plant species (IAPs) in urban areas can have detrimental effects on biodiversity, ecosystem services and human well‐being. Urban areas are complex social management mosaics with high land‐use diversity, complex land tenure patterns and many different stakeholder groups, some of which derive benefits from invading species. Urban conservation practitioners face complex decisions about which IAPs require management. Yet most IAPs prioritization frameworks have been designed for and implemented in natural or rural areas and are generally inadequate for guiding effective and sustainable interventions in urbanized areas.We modified an existing prioritization scheme to develop a framework for prioritizing terrestrial IAPs in urban areas which applies evidence‐based (data‐driven) and stakeholder‐based (local knowledge) assessments to score and rank alien plant species in terms of their priority for management using an objective set of criteria.The framework consists of 46 criteria, grouped into eight modules which assess invasion status, habitat requirements, biological characteristics, dispersal ability, distribution, impacts (positive and negative) and potential for control for each alien plant species under consideration.We use the city of Toronto, Canada as a case study to test our framework—a list of 50 IAPs were effectively scored and ranked in order of high to low priority for control. Species with the highest total prioritization scores were Vincetoxicum rossicum (Dog Strangling Vine), Convolvulus arvensis (Field Bindweed) and Taraxacum officinale (Common Dandelion, ranked 1, 2 and 3 respectively).Many of the identified high priority species align with those previously flagged as of management concern by conservation practitioners, but also include those that are not actively managed due to their perceived lower ecological impacts. These species still require high resource investment for other objectives such as aesthetics. This highlights the complexity of alien plant species management in urban areas.Synthesis and applications. Prioritizing invasive alien plants for management in urban areas is particularly challenging due to often conflicting ecological, economic and social objectives. We use available evidence and local stakeholder knowledge to develop an objective and systematic prioritization tool which can assist conservation practitioners in selecting priority species for management action in complex urban landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem‐based fisheries management aims to ensure ecologically sustainable fishing while maximising socio‐economic benefits. Achieving this goal for mixed fisheries requires better understanding of the effects of competing fishing fleets on shared resources and economic performance. Proposed management strategies that promote either specialisation or diversification of catches may result in unintended consequences for ecosystem‐based management. Here, we ask the following questions: does increased or decreased competition among fleets lead to better ecological and socio‐economic fishery outcomes? How effective are currently proposed management strategies for achieving these outcomes?We integrated fleet dynamics into a multispecies size‐spectrum model and parameterised this model to represent Australian Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Mixed Fishery. We compared the fishery status quo to two extreme scenarios: no competition, where each species is fished only by one fleet (specialisation); and maximal competition, where all fleets catch all species (diversification). To answer our second question, we considered three more plausible scenarios resulting from proposed management strategies: decreased competition due to reduced bycatch, and increased competition due to increased catches of under‐utilised or valuable species. We used indicators to explore scenarios' outcomes.Our model reproduced observed trends in fishing effort and yield. Extreme scenarios showed that a fishery dependent on single species management structures is more likely to achieve ecosystem‐based management objectives if fleets do not compete, while maximal competition can lead to socio‐economic loss as management buffers the ecological impact of diversifying. The more plausible scenarios showed little improvement over the status quo, with mixed ecological and negative economic effects.Synthesis and applications. Our model can be applied to assess mixed fisheries ecosystem‐based management strategies. Our results show that, under single species management approaches, greatest outcomes can be achieved when fleets are specialised, whereas managing fleets that catch similar species is unlikely to be successful. They question the effectiveness of these management approaches in providing resilience for mixed fisheries facing changes and highlight the need to account for fleet interactions in the evaluation of management strategies to avert unintended risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North American beaver Castor canadensis is an invasive species in the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago. Due to this biological invasion, Argentina and Chile signed an agreement to restore affected ecosystems by eradicating beavers. In southern Patagonia, the beavers' ecological impacts are well studied, but there is a relative lack of information on how their invasion (and potential removal) could affect bird communities.In the southern portion of Tierra del Fuego's 'big island' (Isla Grande), we conducted passive acoustic monitoring and avian point counts in intact riparian forests, beaver ponds and beaver meadows (i.e. drained ponds) to assess spatial and seasonal differences in acoustic activity and avian abundance, species diversity and functional diversity.During spring and summer, acoustic activity was significantly higher in meadows than in forests, with ponds exhibiting intermediate values.Abundance and species diversity exhibited similar patterns, driven largely by resident passerines, while functional diversity tended to be highest in ponds, largely due to ducks and raptors. Effects were weaker in fall and winter.Acoustic metrics exhibited moderate to strong correlations with all point‐count‐derived metrics.Synthesis and applications. At the patch level, the avian community was more abundant and diverse in beaver‐modified habitats than in intact riparian forests, though communities in modified patches may not differ substantially from those in analogous natural open and wetland habitats. Dam breaching and pond drainage did not yield a return to an intact forest bird community, indicating that active reforestation may be necessary to restore avian communities to pre‐beaver conditions in the short to medium term, as sought by the binational agreement. Given the immense challenges of eradication and restoration, its social‐ecological costs and benefits—including those related to avifauna—should be thoroughly considered in establishing goals or indicators of success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive alien species can cause detrimental changes in native ecosystems, but our understanding of the interactions between multiple exotic species is limited. To evaluate the joint effect of multiple sympatric invaders on an ecosystem, we must first understand how they interact with each other.Here, we quantified the spatial distribution, dietary composition and overlap of four invasive generalist vespid species (two Vespula and two Polistes) that co‐occur on Ahuahu off the north‐east coast of New Zealand. We used DNA metabarcoding of larval faecal material to identify prey species, and mapped the locations of nests.We observed clear spatial partitioning, with different wasp species aggregating in different habitats. Diet differed both among wasp species (diet partitioning) and among seasons (temporal partitioning). There was stronger competition (highest diet overlap) between Vespula germanica and Vespula vulgaris than between other wasp species, but partitioning resources minimised spatial and diet overlap between the four species.Additionally, we obtained high‐resolution diet inventories that help assess the combined ecological impact of invasion by multiple wasps. These species consumed mostly native and endemic invertebrates from multiple trophic levels, but particularly herbivores (Lepidoptera). We provide direct evidence that in combination they exploited a wide range of endemic invertebrates.Synthesis and applications. Our study demonstrates resource partitioning among four invasive wasps, facilitating coexistence of these generalist invaders. We conclude that coexistence probably amplifies their ecological impact. Quantifying how multiple invaders exploit and partition resources provides insights into how communities assemble and helps to assess the cumulative effects of multiple invaders on the recipient community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea‐level rise, storm surges, ageing and wear are forcing upgrades to breakwaters and sea walls to protect coastal areas from erosion and inundation. Such upgrades involve the introduction of new material which may consequently act as an ecological disturbance that can alter established marine communities and ecosystem function. Mitigating ecological impacts requires an understanding of how species assemblages are affected by such works.Here, we use the major upgrade of a regularly wave‐overtopped breakwater as a case study to evaluate the impacts of upgrades to hard coastal protective infrastructure on benthic rocky reef communities. An asymmetrical Before‐After Control‐Impact (BACI) experimental design was used to test interactive effects of the infrastructure upgrades on benthic communities.While benthic assemblages were not significantly different from controls prior to the upgrade, improving the defensive capacity of the breakwater significantly changed community structure. Notably, most taxonomic groups showed higher cover at the control sites than at the impacted site post‐upgrade, with articulated calcareous algae (e.g. Corallina officinalis and Amphiroa anceps) showing an opposite trend.Synthesis and applications. Ecological implications and structural limitations make regular upgrading of existing infrastructure unsuitable as a long‐term management strategy. More sustainable alternatives need to be considered, such as decommissioning of structures and retreat from flood‐prone areas. This transition, however, will take time and requires a change of mindset and policies. Where upgrades are urgent, eco‐engineering techniques can mitigate impacts to habitats and associated taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legislation commonly mandates the mitigation of impacts to biodiversity in planning and development processes, with potential impacts identified through some form of ecological impact assessment. Yet, protections for biodiversity are frequently undermined because the distributions of priority species are poorly known in most locations at the spatial scales required to inform planning decisions (i.e. c. 1–100 ha).Planning applications are often screened against opportunistic records to determine potential impacts to priority species. However, raw occurrence records provide information only on where a species has been detected and cannot be used to indicate if a species is likely to be absent from a site.Inferences drawn from these data on the likelihood of a species being present at a site can only be correctly interpreted through an appropriate species distribution modelling (SDM) framework that ensures assumptions about the data and models are formalised and documented. We argue that SDM frameworks must be integrated into ecological impact assessments to improve support for biodiversity protections within planning and development processes.Biases and uncertainties in opportunistic data create modelling challenges, but recent methodological advances can minimise their impacts on predictions. We advocate co‐production with practitioners of SDM tools, mapping products and best‐practice guidelines specific to planning processes.Policy implications. The integration of species distribution modelling frameworks into ecological impact assessments will strengthen biodiversity protections in planning and development processes by ensuring methodological transparency and rigour in the interpretation of species occurrence data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palm oil is the most traded vegetable oil worldwide. Production is concentrated in Southeast Asia, where established oil palm plantations dominate the landscape in many regions. Although levels of biodiversity are much lower than in forest, mature oil palm plantations can support a wide range of generalist species. However, these species may be threatened, as large areas of plantation have already been, or will soon be, replanted as they near the end of their productive life (20–30 years). Replanting changes vegetation complexity and microclimate, but short‐ and long‐term effects on biodiversity are largely unstudied.We surveyed an oil palm chronosequence (first‐generation mature palms, and replanted second‐generation palms aged 1, 3 and 8 years) in an industrial plantation in Riau, Indonesia to assess the impacts of replanting over an 8‐year period on arthropods in the ground, understorey and canopy microhabitats. Replanting was carried out using current recommended strategies, which included staggering replanting events to promote landscape‐level heterogeneity, retaining mature oil palm riparian buffers, planting a cover crop immediately after replanting, and using chopped mature palms as mulch after clearance. We assessed changes in total arthropod abundance and order‐level community composition, as well as specific changes in spider communities.We observed no significant declines in total arthropod abundance after replanting, but arthropod order‐level community composition varied across the chronosequence in all microhabitats. These findings were replicated, or more pronounced, in spider‐specific analyses. Spider abundance and species richness decreased in the understorey in the first year after replanting (although these returned to pre‐replanting levels after 3 years), and spider species‐level community composition in all microhabitats differed significantly across the chronosequence.Synthesis and applications. Our findings indicate that total arthropod abundance is resilient to replanting of oil palm, but that replanting changes total arthropod and spider community composition and decreases spider abundance and species richness in some microhabitats. While it is somewhat encouraging from a management perspective that recommended replanting strategies maintain overall arthropod abundance, the changes in arthropod composition and spider biodiversity that we observed may impact ecosystem processes, such as pest control, in second‐generation oil palm plantations, with potential implications for yield. Additional studies that focus on other taxonomic groups and assess the effects of individual replanting strategies are needed before the long‐term ecological impacts of replanting on existing oil palm plantations can be fully determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable and accurate biodiversity census methods are essential for monitoring ecosystem health and assessing potential ecological impacts of future development projects. Although metabarcoding is increasingly used to study biodiversity across ecological research, morphology‐based identification remains the preferred approach for marine ecological impact assessments. Comparing metabarcoding to morphology‐based protocols currently used by ecological surveyors is essential to determine whether this DNA‐based approach is suitable for long‐term monitoring of the marine ecosystems.We compared metabarcoding and morphology‐based approaches for the analysis of invertebrates in low diversity intertidal marine sediment samples. We used a recently developed bioinformatics pipeline and two taxonomic assignment methods to resolve and assign amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) from Illumina amplicon data. We analysed the community composition recovered by both methods and tested the effects, on the levels of diversity detected by the metabarcoding method, of sieving samples prior to DNA extraction.Metabarcoding of the mitochondrial marker cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene recovers the presence of more taxonomic groups than the morphological approach. We found that sieving samples results in lower alpha diversity detected and suggests a community composition that differs significantly from that suggested by un‐sieved samples in our metabarcoding analysis. We found that while metabarcoding and morphological approaches detected similar numbers of species, they are unable to identify the same set of species across samples.Synthesis and applications. We show that metabarcoding using the cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) marker provides a more holistic, community‐based, analysis of benthic invertebrate diversity than a traditional morphological approach. We also highlight current gaps in reference databases and bioinformatic pipelines for the identification of intertidal benthic invertebrates that need to be addressed before metabarcoding can replace traditional methods. Ultimately, with these limitations taken into consideration, resolving community‐wide diversity patterns with metabarcoding could improve the management of non‐protected marine habitats in the United Kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban expansion poses a major threat to wildlife populations. Biodiversity‐friendly urban landscapes could deliver benefits for both wildlife and people, by incorporating conservation and ecosystem services objectives. Well‐designed urban developments could also soften the ecological impacts of urbanization. However, delivering urban landscapes that integrate biodiversity requirements effectively remains challenging.Ecological models, designed to predict wildlife population responses to alternative urban designs, could prove effective in supporting the creation of biodiversity‐friendly urban landscapes. Here, we combine national‐scale bird abundance data with high resolution, spatially explicit habitat data to characterize relationships between bird densities and urban landscape form in Britain. From these analyses and cross validation, we evaluate the potential for well‐parameterized, species‐specific models to be used to predict bird densities in novel or modified urban areas.Our analyses indicate that responses of bird abundance to urban habitat are species‐specific and complex, with few variables consistently affecting a large proportion of species. However, contiguous areas of greenspace within urban sites are preferential for accommodating breeding birds, compared to a more fragmented arrangement of multiple, small greenspace patches. In combination, the bird‐habitat relationships identified could successfully predict observed variation in abundance for most bird species considered.Further evaluation of habitat descriptor variables, spatial scales of species' habitat use and analytical modelling approaches may be needed to improve the predictive ability of bird‐habitat models for certain species, particularly waterbirds and those observed less frequently in urban areas.Synthesis and applications. We modelled breeding bird abundance in built‐up areas with respect to the characteristics and contexts of urban environments. While most variables were important for multiple species, responses overall were species‐specific, so simple assemblage metrics, like diversity, will not describe the variation in bird communities well. However, the results illustrate the potential of an evidence‐based, spatially explicit evaluation of urban development impacts on biodiversity, by predicting the consequences for bird numbers. Subject to verification of predictive ability, practitioners can apply the models to compare, for example, land‐sparing and sharing within developments, or to quantify the biodiversity requirements for effective offsetting. This would be facilitated by incorporation into an online tool allowing user‐determined input scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities have reduced the carrying capacity of many estuarine systems by degrading and removing habitat. Artificial reefs may increase estuarine rocky‐reef habitat, but our understanding of their ecological impact is limited. In particular, the question of whether fish on artificial structures are produced by the habitat or attracted from nearby natural rocky‐reefs is of concern.We used baited remote underwater video at artificial reef sites and nearby natural reef sites to investigate the influence of artificial reefs on fish abundance in estuaries with low amounts of natural rocky‐reef. We measured total fish abundance and the abundance of three species of fisheries importance (all in the family Sparidae) before artificial reef deployment (Reefballs®), 1 year after and 2 years after. This design was replicated in three widely separate estuaries over 4 years.During the 2 years post‐deployment, abundance of Sparidae fish increased on both artificial and natural rocky‐reefs, even when artificial reefs were deployed in different years and seasons. Total fish abundance increased at artificial reef sites with no evidence of change at natural rocky‐reef sites.Our findings provide evidence that the fish seen on artificial reefs were not attracted from the nearby rocky‐reefs and were likely 'produced' by the addition of artificial reefs in these estuaries. Artificial reefs can increase the carrying capacity in these estuaries by providing refuge that would otherwise be unavailable.Synthesis and applications. The increased fish abundance in three estuaries at both artificial reef and natural reef locations shows that purpose‐built artificial reefs can be used in conjunction with restoration/protection of existing natural habitat, to increase estuarine carrying capacity and fish abundance. This may be for fisheries enhancement or estuarine restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predators can shape the distributions and dynamics of their prey through direct and indirect mechanisms. Where prey animals are regarded as pests, the augmentation of predator populations might offer a potential tool in their management.Declines in invasive non‐native grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis populations in Ireland and Scotland have been related to an increase in range and density of native pine marten Martes martes populations. These reductions in grey squirrel abundance have, in turn, been linked to recovery of native red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris.Taking the opportunity presented by a conservation translocation of pine martens from Scotland to Wales, we investigated the short‐term effects of exposure to translocated martens on the space use and survival of resident grey squirrels.Grey squirrel range size and daily distance travelled increased significantly with increasing exposure to martens but we found no effect of marten exposure on the recapture probability (i.e. apparent survival) of the sampled squirrels within the study time frame. This is suggestive of contemporary, non‐lethal effects changing the ranging or foraging regimes of squirrels, due either to predator avoidance and/or earlier lethal effects associated with a reduction in intraspecific competition.Synthesis and applications. Our evaluation mimics the conditions experienced by grey squirrels at the front edge of naturally recovering pine marten populations and presents direct evidence that pine marten translocations could play an influential role in the behaviour and dynamics of invasive non‐native grey squirrel populations. Translocations of native predators, undertaken primarily for biodiversity conservation, could therefore find additional application in managing the ecological and economic impacts of invasive non‐native prey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many studies have investigated non‐target impacts of neonicotinoid seed treatments (NSTs), they usually take place within a single crop and focus on specific pest or beneficial arthropod taxa.We compared the impacts of three seed treatments to an untreated control: imidacloprid + fungicide products, thiamethoxam + fungicide products and fungicide products alone in a 3‐year crop rotation of full‐season soybean, winter wheat, double‐cropped soybean and maize. Specifically, we quantified neonicotinoid residues in the soil and in weedy winter annual flower buds and examined treatment impacts on soil and foliar arthropod communities as well as on plant growth and yield.Unquantifiably low amounts of insecticide were found in winter annual flowers of one species in one site year, which did not correspond with our treatments. Although low levels of insecticide residues were present in the soil, residues were not persistent. Residues were highest in the final year of the study, suggesting some accumulation.We observed variable impacts of NSTs on the arthropod community; principle response curve and redundancy analyses exhibited occasional treatment effects, with treatments impacting the abundance of various taxa, including predators and parasitoids. Overall, foliar taxa were more impacted than soil taxa, and the fungicides occasionally affected communities and individual taxa.Pest pressure was low throughout the study, and although pest numbers were reduced by the insecticides, corresponding increases in yield were not observed.Synthesis and applications. Pesticide seed treatments can impact arthropod taxa, including important natural enemies even when environmental persistence and active ingredient concentrations are low. The foliar community in winter wheat showed that in some cases, these impacts can last for several months after planting. Given the low pest pressure and lack of yield improvement in full‐season soybean, double‐cropped soybean, winter wheat and maize, we did not observe benefits that could justify the risks associated with neonicotinoid seed treatment (NST) use. Our results suggest that NSTs are not warranted in Maryland grain production, outside of specific instances of high pest pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive non‐native species (INNS) threaten biodiversity and ecosystem functioning globally. However, there remains a pressing need to understand the environmental factors controlling the dispersal, successful establishment and subsequent ecological impacts of INNS for receiving ecosystems. Here, we examine how region‐wide flow regime magnitudes facilitate the successful establishment of an invasive crayfish species (Pacifastacus leniusculus, signal crayfish) in England (UK). We also consider the interactive effects of invasive crayfish with flow regime variations on the structural and functional diversity of macroinvertebrate communities.Low‐flow magnitudes increased the likelihood of P. leniusculus establishment, with 80% of recorded invasion dates falling in years with flow magnitudes below average (low‐ and low‐moderate flow classes), whilst only 1.6% occurred in high‐flow years.Temporal trajectories of structural and functional macroinvertebrate responses in invaded rivers demonstrated reduced diversity compared to control rivers. Lower taxonomic and functional richness measures typically coincided with periods of low discharge in invaded rivers and were greatest during regionally high‐flows.Macroinvertebrate communities displayed significant structural and functional responses to the interaction between invasive crayfish and flow regime variations. Specifically, a number of low‐ and high‐flow indices yielded significant associations, highlighting the role of extreme hydrological events in shaping INNS effects on receiving ecosystems. We also detected greater ecological effects of invasive crayfish under hydrologically stable conditions. Importantly, and for the first time, we observed that invasive crayfish reversed macroinvertebrate community responses to flow regime cues (e.g. discharge fall rate and minimum flows in the preceding 180 days).Synthesis and applications. Results from this study indicate that low‐flow events facilitate the spread/establishment of invasive crayfish and correspond with greater ecological effects for receiving ecosystems. Given that low‐flow events are predicted to increase in intensity, duration and frequency over the 21st century, our results highlight the potential threat that invasive crayfish may pose under future hydroclimatic changes. Managing river flow regimes effectively (including maintaining higher flow events and flow variability) is likely to be vital in conserving ecological diversity following crayfish invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The redistribution of species in response to climate change is expected to significantly challenge environmental management and conservation efforts around the globe. To date, we have had restricted understanding of the benefits and risks that species redistribution may pose to individual countries, and a limited appreciation of the variability in current opportunities for developing effective monitoring approaches that build on existing national frameworks.To assess the present level of ecological, economic and societal risks and opportunities associated with new arrivals of species driven by changes in climatic conditions, we conducted a review of the available information on changes in animal species (both terrestrial and marine) distribution suspected to be linked to climate change in the United Kingdom over the past 10 years (2008–2018).We found evidence that at least 55 species have arrived in new locations in the country due to climate change in the past decade, with 22 of them suspected to impact positively or negatively the recipient ecosystems, or nearby human communities. Ten of these 55 species were identified using keywords and hashtags on social media.Synthesis and applications. Our work identifies pressing monitoring gaps relevant to the management of species on the move and discusses the potential for social media to help address current information needs. It also calls for more theoretical work to enable the quick identification of species likely to be problematic (or beneficial) and locations likely to experience significant ecological and societal impacts from biodiversity's redistribution under a changing climate. Our work identifies pressing monitoring gaps relevant to the management of species on the move and discusses the potential for social media to help address current information needs. It also calls for more theoretical work to enable the quick identification of species likely to be problematic (or beneficial) and locations likely to experience significant ecological and societal impacts from biodiversity's redistribution under a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predictions of the identities and ecological impacts of invasive alien species are critical for risk assessment, but presently we lack universal and standardized metrics that reliably predict the likelihood and degree of impact of such invaders (i.e. measurable changes in populations of affected species). This need is especially pressing for emerging and potential future invaders that have no invasion history. Such a metric would also ideally apply across diverse taxonomic and trophic groups., We derive a new metric of invader ecological impact that blends: (i) the classic Functional Response ( FR; consumer per capita effect) and Numerical Response ( NR; consumer population response) approaches to determining consumer impact, that is, the Total Response ( TR = FR × NR), with; (ii) the 'Parker-Lonsdale equation' for invader impact, where Impact = Range × Abundance × Effect ( per capita effect), into; (iii) a new metric, Relative Impact Potential ( RIP), where RIP = FR × Abundance. The RIP metric is an invader/native ratio, where values >1 predict that invader ecological impact will occur, and increasing values above 1 indicate increasing impact. In addition, the invader/invader RIP ratio allows comparisons of the ecological impacts of different invaders., Across a diverse range of trophic and taxonomic groups, including predators, herbivores, animals and plants (22 invader/native systems with 47 individual comparisons), high-impact invaders were significantly associated with higher FRs compared to native trophic analogues. However, the RIP metric substantially improves this association, with 100% predictive power of high-impact invaders., Further, RIP scores were significantly and positively correlated with two independent ecological impact scores for invaders, allowing prediction of the degree of impact of invasive alien species with the RIP metric. Finally, invader/invader RIP scores were also successful in identifying and associating with higher impacting invasive alien species., Synthesis and applications. The Relative Impact Potential metric combines the per capita effects of invaders with their abundances, relative to trophically analogous natives, and is successful in predicting the likelihood and degree of ecological impact caused by invasive alien species. As the metric constitutes readily measurable features of individuals, populations and species across abiotic and biotic context-dependencies, even emerging and potential future invasive alien species can be assessed. The Relative Impact Potential metric can be rapidly utilized by scientists and practitioners and could inform policy and management of invasive alien species across diverse taxonomic and trophic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alien species can change the recipient environment in various ways, and some of them cause considerable damage. Understanding such impacts is crucial to direct management actions. This study addresses the following questions: Is it possible to quantify impact across higher taxa in a comparative manner? Do impacts differ between taxonomic groups? How are environmental and socio-economic impacts related? Can impacts be predicted based on those in other regions?, To address these questions, we reviewed literature describing the impacts of 300 species from five major taxonomic groups: mammals, birds, fish, terrestrial arthropods and plants. To make very diverse impact measures comparable, we used the semi-quantitative generic impact scoring system ( GISS) which describes environmental and socio-economic impacts using twelve categories. In each category, scores range from zero (no impact known or detectable) to five (the highest possible impact)., Using the same scoring system for taxa as diverse as invertebrates, vertebrates and plants, we found that overall, alien mammals in Europe have the highest impact, while fish have the lowest. Terrestrial arthropods were found to have the lowest environmental impact, while fish had relatively low socio-economic impact., Overall, the magnitude of environmental and socio-economic impacts of individual alien species is highly correlated. However, at the species level, major deviations are found., For mammals and birds, the impacts in invaded ranges outside of Europe are broadly similar to those recorded for alien species within Europe, indicating that a consideration of the known impacts of a species in other regions can be generally useful when predicting the impacts of an alien species. However, it should be noted that this pattern is not consistent across all mammal and bird orders, and thus, such information should be considered with caution., Synthesis and applications. Comparing the impacts of alien species across taxa is necessary for prioritizing management efforts and effective allocation of resources. By applying the generic impact scoring system ( GISS) to five major taxonomic groups, we provide the basis for a semi-quantitative cross-taxa listing process (e.g. 'black lists' or 100-worst-lists). If more data are collated from different geographical regions and habitats using standard GISS protocols, risk assessments for alien species based on rigorous measures of impact could be improved by taking into account local variation, and context dependence of impacts. This would also allow studies at lower taxonomic levels, and within-taxon analyses of functional groups and guilds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 20% of the world's tropical forests have been selectively logged, and large expanses are allocated for future timber extraction. Reduced-impact logging ( RIL) is being promoted as best practice forestry that increases sustainability and lowers CO2 emissions from logging, by reducing collateral damage associated with timber extraction. RIL is also expected to minimize the impacts of selective logging on biodiversity, although this is yet to be thoroughly tested., We undertake the most comprehensive study to date to investigate the biodiversity impacts of RIL across multiple taxonomic groups. We quantified birds, bats and large mammal assemblage structures, using a before-after control-impact ( BACI) design across 20 sample sites over a 5-year period. Faunal surveys utilized point counts, mist nets and line transects and yielded >250 species. We examined assemblage responses to logging, as well as partitions of feeding guild and strata (understorey vs. canopy), and then tested for relationships with logging intensity to assess the primary determinants of community composition., Community analysis revealed little effect of RIL on overall assemblages, as structure and composition were similar before and after logging, and between logging and control sites. Variation in bird assemblages was explained by natural rates of change over time, and not logging intensity. However, when partitioned by feeding guild and strata, the frugivorous and canopy bird ensembles changed as a result of RIL, although the latter was also associated with change over time. Bats exhibited variable changes post-logging that were not related to logging, whereas large mammals showed no change at all., Indicator species analysis and correlations with logging intensities revealed that some species exhibited idiosyncratic responses to RIL, whilst abundance change of most others was associated with time., Synthesis and applications. Our study demonstrates the relatively benign effect of reduced-impact logging ( RIL) on birds, bats and large mammals in a neotropical forest context, and therefore, we propose that forest managers should improve timber extraction techniques more widely. If RIL is extensively adopted, forestry concessions could represent sizeable and important additions to the global conservation estate - over 4 million km2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of fungicides is considered an indispensable measure to secure crop production. These substances, however, may unintentionally enter surface waters via run-off, potentially affecting the microbial community. To assess such risks adequately, authorities recently called for suitable test designs involving relevant aquatic micro-organisms., We assessed the structural and functional responses of leaf-associated microbial communities, which play a key role in the breakdown of allochthonous leaf material in streams, towards the inorganic fungicides copper (Cu) and elemental sulphur (S). These substances are of particular interest as they are authorized for both conventional and organic farming in many countries of the world. We used the food choice of the amphipod shredder Gammarus fossarum (indicative for micro-organism-mediated leaf palatability) as well as microbial leaf decomposition as functional endpoints. Moreover, the leaf-associated microbial communities were characterized by means of bacterial density, fungal biomass and community composition facilitating mechanistic understanding of the observed functional effects., While Gammarus preferred Cu-exposed leaves over unexposed ones, microbial leaf decomposition was reduced by both Cu and S (up to 30%). Furthermore, Cu exposure decreased bacterial densities (up to 60%), stimulated the growth of leaf-associated fungi (up to 100%) and altered fungal community composition, while S did not affect any of the assessed structural endpoints., Synthesis and applications. We observed both structural and functional changes in leaf-associated microbial communities at inorganic fungicide concentrations realistic for surface water bodies influenced by conventional and organic farming. Our data hence justify a careful re-evaluation of the environmental safety of the agricultural use of these compounds. Moreover, inclusion of an experimental design similar to the one used in this study in lower tier environmental risk assessments of antimicrobial compounds may aid to safeguard the integrity of aquatic microbial communities and the functions they provide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape heterogeneity represents two aspects of landscape simplification: (i) compositional heterogeneity (diversity of habitat types); and (ii) configurational heterogeneity (number, size and arrangement of habitat patches), both with different ecological implications for community composition., We examined how independent gradients of compositional and configurational landscape heterogeneity, at eight spatial scales, shape taxonomic and functional composition of butterfly communities in 91 managed grasslands across Germany. We used landscape metrics that were calculated from functional maps based on habitat preferences of individual species during different life stages. The relative effects of compositional and configurational landscape heterogeneity were compared with those of local land-use intensity on butterfly taxonomic diversity, community composition and functional diversity of traits related to body size, feeding breadth and migratory tendency., As expected, compositional heterogeneity had strong positive effects on taxonomic diversity, while configurational heterogeneity had strong positive effects on trait dominance within the community. When landscapes had smaller mean patch size and greater boundary area, communities were dominated by species with more specialized larval feeding, decreased forewing length and limited migratory tendency., The positive effects of increased configurational landscape heterogeneity outweighed the negative effects of local land-use intensity on larval-feeding specialization, at all spatial scales, highlighting its importance for specialists of all dispersal capabilities., Synthesis and applications. We show that landscapes with high compositional heterogeneity support communities with greater taxonomic diversity, while landscapes with high configurational heterogeneity support communities that include vulnerable species (feeding specialists with larger body size, sedentary nature and more negatively affected by local management intensity). A decline in functional community composition can lead to functional homogenization, affecting the viability of the ecosystems by decreasing the variability in their responses to disturbance and altering their functioning. A landscape management for grasslands that promotes the maintenance of small patch sizes and a diversity of land uses in the surrounding landscape (within 250-1000 m) is recommended for the conservation of diverse butterfly communities. These strategies could also benefit government programmes such as the EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy in their efforts to reduce the loss of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of robust ecological data to make evidence-based management decisions is frequently prevented by limited data quantity or quality, and local ecological knowledge ( LEK) is increasingly seen as an important source of information for conservation. However, there has been little assessment of LEK's usefulness for informing prioritization and management of landscapes for threatened species, or assessing comparative species status across landscapes., A large-scale interview survey in the Annamite Mountains ( Vietnam and Lao PDR) compiled the first systematic LEK data set for saola Pseudoryx nghetinhensis, one of the world's rarest mammals, and eight other ungulates. Saola conservation is hindered by uncertainty over continued presence across much of its proposed distribution. We analysed comparative LEK-based last-sighting data across three landscapes to determine whether regional sighting histories support previous suggestions of landscape importance for saola conservation ( Hue- Quang Nam: top-priority Vietnamese landscape; Pu Mat: lower priority Vietnamese landscape; Viengthong: high-priority Lao landscape) and whether they constitute an effective spatial prioritization tool for cryptic species management., Wild pig and red muntjac may be the only Annamite ungulates with stable populations; the regional status of all other species appears to be worse. Saola have declined more severely and/or are significantly rarer than most other ungulates and have been seen by relatively few respondents. Saola were also frequently considered locally rarest or declining, and never as species that had not declined., In contrast to other species, there are no regional differences in saola sighting histories, with continued persistence in all landscapes challenging suggestions that regional status differs greatly. Remnant populations persist in Vietnam despite heavy hunting, but even remote landscapes in Lao may be under intense pressure., Synthesis and applications. Our local ecological knowledge data suggest that intact saola populations probably no longer exist, but individuals persist in all three landscapes, making management activities to reduce hunting pressure on ungulates in each landscape a conservation priority. Analysis of last-sighting histories can constitute an important conservation tool when robust data are otherwise unavailable, and collection of last-sighting records should be incorporated more widely into field studies and management of other highly threatened, cryptic species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for infectious pathogens to spillover and emerge from managed populations to wildlife communities is poorly understood, but ecological, evolutionary and anthropogenic factors are all likely to influence the initial exposure and subsequent infection, spread and impact of disease. Fast-evolving RNA viruses, known to cause severe colony losses in managed honeybee populations, deserve particular attention for their propensity to jump between host species and thus threaten ecologically and economically important wild pollinator communities., We review the literature on pollinator viruses to identify biological and anthropogenic drivers of disease emergence, highlight gaps in the literature, and discuss potential management strategies., We provide evidence that many wild pollinator species are exposed to viruses from commercial species, resulting in multiple spillover events. However, it is not clear whether species become infected as a result of spillover or whether transmission is occurring within these wild populations. Ecological traits of pollinating insects, such as overlapping ranges, niches and behaviours, clearly promote cross-species transmission of RNA viruses. Moreover, we conclude that the social behaviour and phylogenetic relatedness of social pollinators further facilitate within- and between-host transmission, leaving these species particularly vulnerable to emerging diseases., We argue that the commercial use of pollinators is a key driver of disease emergence in these beneficial insects and that this must be addressed by management and policy., Synthesis and applications. There are important knowledge gaps, ranging from disease distribution and prevalence, to pathogen life history and virulence, to the impacts of disease emergence, which need to be addressed as research priorities. It is clear that avoiding anthropogenic pathogen spillover is crucial to preventing and managing disease emergence in pollinators, with far-reaching effects on our food security, ecosystem services and biodiversity. We argue that it is crucial to prevent the introduction of diseased pollinators into natural environments, which can be achieved through improved monitoring and management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competition between livestock and wild ungulates is commonly perceived to occur on shared rangelands. In the Henry Mountains ( HM) of Utah, a free-ranging population of bison Bison bison has raised concerns among ranchers holding grazing permits on these public lands. Bison are the most conspicuous potential competitors with cattle, but lagomorphs (mainly jackrabbits Lepus californicus) are also abundant in this area. The local ranching community is applying political pressure on state and federal agencies to resolve 'the bison problem', but the relative grazing impacts of bison, cattle and lagomorphs have not previously been quantified., We constructed 40 grazing exclosures (each 5·95 m2) in the conflict area: 20 excluded bison + cattle ('partial') and 20 excluded bison + cattle + lagomorphs ('full'). All exclosures, each with a paired open reference plot, were monitored for 1 year, and above-ground plant production was measured. GPS telemetry (bison) and scheduled grazing (cattle) allowed visitation to be quantified for each ungulate species based on the number of 'animal days' in the area. Rancher perceptions of wildlife-cattle interactions were recorded in a questionnaire survey., Ranchers perceived bison as a high-level competitor with cattle, whereas lagomorphs were perceived as low-level competitors., Grazed reference plots yielded an average (± SE) of 22·7 g m−2 (±5·16) of grass, compared to 36·5 g m−2 (±7·33) in the partial exclosures and 43·7 g m−2 (±7·61) in the full exclosures. Exclusion of large herbivores thus resulted in a 13·8 g m−2 increase in grass biomass relative to the reference plots ( P = 0·005), with the additional exclusion of lagomorphs resulting in a further 7·18 g m−2 increase ( P = 0·048)., Overall, lagomorphs accounted for 34·1%, bison 13·7% and cattle 52·3% of the total grass biomass removed by all herbivores on the shared range., Synthesis and applications. Cattle face a greater competitive challenge from lagomorphs than from bison in the study area. This case study illustrates the need for science-based management of social-ecological systems in which even long-term resource users might underestimate the complexities of trophic interactions. Attention should be redirected at the lagomorphs and their main predators, coyotes Canis latrans, which are currently subject to population control. To reduce negative perceptions among local ranchers, options should be explored to incorporate benefit-sharing into the management of the bison population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitigating the impacts of large-scale fires on biodiversity is becoming increasingly important as their frequency increases. In response, fire managers have engaged with the concept that retaining small unburnt residual areas of vegetation within extensively burnt landscapes may facilitate biodiversity conservation. However, it remains uncertain how the size and isolation of these unburnt residuals influence faunal distributions, persistence and recovery following fire., We used a replicated observation study to test bird responses to the size and isolation of unburnt residuals in a mallee woodland area recently burnt by a 28 000 ha wildfire in southern Australia. The scale of our study provided a rare opportunity to consider the responses of large mobile organisms to fire-induced habitat fragmentation. Within five replicated spatial blocks, we crossed two levels of isolation with large (5-7 ha) and small (1-3 ha) unburnt patches and matrix sites burnt 5 years previously. We compared these site types to six continuous (non-fragmented) unburnt sites. We surveyed each site on eight occasions., Most birds occurred more frequently in unburnt habitat beyond the extent of the fire. Bird responses to the availability and spatial distribution of unburnt remnants within the fire were largely influenced by their ability to use the recently burnt matrix. Occurrence of five species was higher in unburnt residuals when more of the landscape within 500 m was burnt., A fire refuge effect may be likely for two competitive species that occurred more frequently in unburnt residuals than in the burnt matrix or continuous unburnt habitat. For the weebill, recolonization following fire was likely to occur gradually over time from ex situ sources., Synthesis and applications. To maintain avian diversity in fire-prone landscapes, our results suggest a need to shift management focus from creating networks of small unburnt patches towards preserving large, intact areas of habitat. However, five species common to the burnt matrix preferentially selected residual patches when unburnt resources were locally scarce. Therefore, to benefit birds, land managers should limit the extent of applied burns and use narrow burns. When planning large burns, practitioners should consider that a number of species will remain absent from the landscape for several decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spillover of beneficial organisms from natural habitats to croplands can improve agro-ecosystem services, but wildlife can also negatively influence agricultural production. When managing agricultural landscapes to conserve biodiversity, we need to understand whether the availability of natural habitats increases ecosystem dis-services such as vertebrate seed predation to avoid risking higher costs than benefits., We studied whether vertebrates and their impact in crop seed predation are related to the percentage of natural (chaparral) and semi-natural habitat (planted forest with native and exotic trees) in an agricultural landscape of Israel. We selected 20 almond and 20 sunflower study sites within a landscape with varying percentages of natural (0-61%) and semi-natural (0-70%) habitats within a 1000 m radius of their surroundings. We observed birds, trapped rodents (in almond), counted seeds and noted feeding marks to obtain seed predation rates, at each site. Within the almond crops, we physically excluded birds, rodents and both to determine their relative and combined influence on seed predation., Neither vertebrate abundance nor species richness was influenced by the percentage of natural habitat. However, bird species richness increased with increasing percentage of semi-natural habitat., Seed predation across both crops was not influenced by natural or semi-natural habitat but increased significantly with increasing abundance and species richness of birds. This was also reflected by the exclusions of birds, vertebrates and both to the almond crop, leading to lowest seed predation when both groups were excluded., Synthesis and applications. Natural or semi-natural habitat did not influence the agro-ecosystem dis-service of seed predation by birds and rodents. Policymakers should consider promoting agri-environment schemes that include the conservation of natural habitats and the management of semi-natural habitats adjacent to cropland to enhance agro-ecosystem services meditated by beneficial organisms such as natural pest enemies and pollinators without fearing increased vertebrate seed predation. In order to provide more detailed management recommendations tackling the reduction of vertebrate dis-services, their feeding behaviour, metabolic needs, behaviour patterns and local abundances should be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research that yields conflicting results rightly causes controversy. Where methodological weaknesses are apparent, there is ready opportunity for discord within the scientific community, which may undermine the entire study., We use the debate about the role of dingoes Canis dingo in conservation in Australia as a case study for a phenomenon that is relevant to all applied ecologists, where conflicting results have been published in high-quality journals and yet the problems with the methods used in these studies have led to significant controversy., To alleviate such controversies, scientists need to use robust methods to ensure that their results are repeatable and defendable. To date, this has not occurred in Australia's dingo debate due to the use of unvalidated indices that rely on unsupported assumptions., We highlight the problems that poor methods have caused in this debate. We also reiterate our recommendations for practitioners, statisticians and researchers to work together to develop long-term, multi-site experimental research programmes using robust methods to understand the impacts of dingoes on mesopredators., Synthesis and applications. Incorporating robust methods and appropriate experimental designs is needed to ensure that conservation actions are appropriately focused and are supported with robust results. Such actions will go a long way towards resolving the debate about the role of dingoes in conservation in Australia, and other, ecological debates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding of the ecological impacts of logging practices on biodiversity and associated ecosystem processes is essential for developing sustainable forest management approaches. We documented the impacts of clearcutting on the functional structure of tree and herbaceous communities in hemiboreal, cool-temperate, warm-temperate and subtropical forests in the Japanese archipelago and identified forest vegetation that is vulnerable to deterioration of important ecosystem functions., We combined species data for leaf, stem, flower and fruit traits related to productivity, nutrient cycling and habitat quality for wildlife with phytosociological vegetation data from unmanaged and previously clearcut forests, then calculated functional structure indices [community mean (CM) of trait values, functional richness ( FRic) and functional divergence ( Rao Q)] of plant communities., For tree species, functional structure indices of specific leaf area ( SLA), leaf carbon and nitrogen concentrations, maximum height, wood density and flower size differed between unmanaged and clearcut forests, while for herb species, only maximum height differed between the two forest types., Functional structure indices showed divergent patterns across forest vegetation zones. In hemiboreal, cool-temperate and warm-temperate forests, the CMs of SLA and leaf nitrogen concentration were greater and that of leaf carbon concentration was smaller in clearcut than in unmanaged forests. Although clearcut forests had greater species richness than unmanaged forests, FRic and/or Rao Q of maximum height were smaller in clearcut forests. In hemiboreal and cool-temperate forests, FRic and Rao Q of SLA were also smaller in clearcut forests. In contrast, subtropical forests showed no differences in species richness and functional structures between unmanaged and clearcut forests., Synthesis and applications. Functional redundancy of plant communities differs among traits and among forest vegetation zones. After intensive logging, hemiboreal, cool-temperate and warm-temperate forests were more vulnerable to the loss of ecosystem functions related to leaf and stem traits of tree species than were subtropical forests, which appeared relatively resilient. Locally adaptive management to maintain multiple ecosystem functions should be developed based on the degree of functional complementarity among plant species in forest communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquatic ecosystems near urban areas are often ecologically impaired, but causative factors are rarely identified. Effects may be revealed by considering multiple lines of evidence at different levels of biological organization., Biological impairment is evident in the urban section of the Upper Dandenong Creek Catchment (Victoria, Australia). We assessed whether episodic sewage spills or other pollutants were the cause of poor ecological condition in the stream. The evidence evaluated included chemical and invertebrate assessments, caging studies of mudsnails Potamopyrgus antipodarum, antioxidant biomarkers and endocrine disruption-related endpoints in fish ( Carassius auratus and Gambusia holbrooki) and toxicological studies with chironomids ( Chironomus tepperi)., A combination of metals and pesticides is likely to be affecting the aquatic fauna across all biological levels, with macroinvertebrate communities, P. antipodarum and C. tepperi populations and C. auratus individuals all ecologically impaired. Adverse alterations to aquatic fauna were consistently seen in Bungalook Creek and persisted downstream of this confluence into Dandenong Creek., In addition, chemical assessments and toxicity identification evaluation ( TIEs) resulted in several point sources of both metals and pesticides being identified as origins of impairment. This contrasted with an expectation that adverse effects were likely to be associated with sewer-related pollution. As a consequence, target areas and specific pollutants were identified for remediation instead of an expensive sewer upgrade., Synthesis and applications. The results demonstrate that it is important to investigate biological effects in different taxa, in both the laboratory and field, to understand which stressors are causing adverse effects on faunal assemblages. When adverse effects are seen across multiple levels of biological organization and caused by the same pollutant from an identifiable source, there is a clear remedial path for managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater anthropogenic sound levels in the ocean are increasing, and the evidence for impacts of sound on marine life is overwhelming. Currently, regulatory bodies require emitted sound from marine renewable energy projects to be assessed in order to infer potential impacts on marine life. Geometric spreading models are sometimes used to assess likely ecological impacts of anthropogenic sound by estimating the propagation of underwater sound without in situ verification., This study investigated the propagation of anthropogenic sound in shallow waters (25-45 m deep) from a single monopole (a single loudspeaker) and twin monopole (two loudspeakers) sound sources replaying tidal turbine sound to approximate anthropogenic sound sources in this environment., Greater sound levels at 100-800, 801-2000 and 2001-20 000 Hz were observed at all observation distances from the sound source for the twin monopole compared to the single monopole. These results suggest that the sound from multiple anthropogenic sound sources installed in one location is likely to be cumulative in the environment where their sound fields overlap., Sound intensities observed in both the single monopole and twin monopole experiments for 0·1-20 kHz were higher than estimates derived from standard geometric spreading models for underwater sound by 3-41 dB across all measured distances from the source. The greatest difference from the theoretical spherical spreading model (41 dB) occurred at the site most distant from the twin monopole sound source, that is, 5 km., Synthesis and applications. The results show that geometric models used by some regulatory bodies may be underestimating the spatial extent to which the anthropogenic underwater sound may be propagating and creating potential ecological impacts. Based on field measurements, we have presented an alternative model which should assist regulatory agencies to better estimate and manage ecological impacts from anthropogenic underwater sound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much concern has been expressed about the ecological consequences of night-time light pollution. This concern is most often focused on the encroachment of artificial light into previously unlit areas of the night-time environment, but changes in the spectral composition, duration and spatial pattern of light are also recognized as having ecological effects., Here, we examine the potential consequences for organisms of five management options to reduce night-time light pollution. These are to (i) prevent areas from being artificially lit; (ii) limit the duration of lighting; (iii) reduce the 'trespass' of lighting into areas that are not intended to be lit (including the night sky); (iv) change the intensity of lighting; and (v) change the spectral composition of lighting., Maintaining and increasing natural unlit areas is likely to be the most effective option for reducing the ecological effects of lighting. However, this will often conflict with other social and economic objectives. Decreasing the duration of lighting will reduce energy costs and carbon emissions, but is unlikely to alleviate many impacts on nocturnal and crepuscular animals, as peak times of demand for lighting frequently coincide with those in the activities of these species. Reducing the trespass of lighting will maintain heterogeneity even in otherwise well-lit areas, providing dark refuges that mobile animals can exploit. Decreasing the intensity of lighting will reduce energy consumption and limit both skyglow and the area impacted by high-intensity direct light. Shifts towards 'whiter' light are likely to increase the potential range of environmental impacts as light is emitted across a broader range of wavelengths., Synthesis and applications. The artificial lightscape will change considerably over coming decades with the drive for more cost-effective low-carbon street lighting solutions and growth in the artificially lit area. Developing lighting strategies that minimize adverse ecological impacts while balancing the often conflicting requirements of light for human utility, comfort and safety, aesthetic concerns, energy consumption and carbon emission reduction constitute significant future challenges. However, as both lighting technology and understanding of its ecological effects develop, there is potential to identify adaptive solutions that resolve these conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roads cause functional habitat loss, alter movement patterns and can become ecological traps for wildlife. Many of the negative effects of roads are likely to be a function of the human use of roads, not the road itself. However, few studies have examined the effect of temporally and spatially varying traffic patterns on large mammals, which could lead to misinterpretations about the impact of roads on wildlife. We developed models of traffic volume for an entire road network in south-western Alberta, Canada, and documented for the first time the response of grizzly bears Ursus arctos L to a wide range of traffic levels., Traffic patterns caused a clear behavioural shift in grizzly bears, with increased use of areas near roads and movement across roads during the night when traffic was low. Bears selected areas near roads travelled by fewer than 20 vehicles per day and were more likely to cross these roads. Bears avoided roads receiving moderate traffic (20-100 vehicles per day) and strongly avoided high-use roads (>100 vehicles per day) at all times., Synthesis and applications. Grizzly bear responses to traffic caused a departure from typical behavioural patterns, with bears in our study being largely nocturnal. In addition, bears selected private agricultural land, which had lower traffic levels, but higher road density, over multi-use public land. These results improve our understanding of bear responses to roads and can be used to refine management practices. Future management plans should employ a multi-pronged approach aimed at limiting both road density and traffic in core habitats. Access management will be critical in such plans and is an important tool for conserving threatened wildlife populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. In farmland biodiversity, a potential risk to the larvae of non-target Lepidoptera from genetically modified (GM) Bt-maize expressing insecticidal Cry1 proteins is the ingestion of harmful amounts of pollen deposited on their host plants. A previous mathematical model of exposure quantified this risk for Cry1Ab protein. We extend this model to quantify the risk for sensitive species exposed to pollen containing Cry1F protein from maize event 1507 and to provide recommendations for management to mitigate this risk. 2. A 14-parameter mathematical model integrating small- and large-scale exposure was used to estimate the larval mortality of hypothetical species with a range of sensitivities, and under a range of simulated mitigation measures consisting of non- Bt maize strips of different widths placed around the field edge. 3. The greatest source of variability in estimated mortality was species sensitivity. Before allowance for effects of large-scale exposure, with moderate within-crop host-plant density and with no mitigation, estimated mortality locally was <10% for species of average sensitivity. For the worst-case extreme sensitivity considered, estimated mortality locally was 99·6% with no mitigation, although this estimate was reduced to below 40% with mitigation of 24-m-wide strips of non- Bt maize. For highly sensitive species, a 12-m-wide strip reduced estimated local mortality under 1·5%, when within-crop host-plant density was zero. Allowance for large-scale exposure effects would reduce these estimates of local mortality by a highly variable amount, but typically of the order of 50-fold. 4. Mitigation efficacy depended critically on assumed within-crop host-plant density; if this could be assumed negligible, then the estimated effect of mitigation would reduce local mortality below 1% even for very highly sensitive species. 5. Synthesis and applications. Mitigation measures of risks of Bt-maize to sensitive larvae of non-target lepidopteran species can be effective, but depend on host-plant densities which are in turn affected by weed-management regimes. We discuss the relevance for management of maize events where cry1F is combined (stacked) with a herbicide-tolerance trait. This exemplifies how interactions between biota may occur when different traits are stacked irrespective of interactions between the proteins themselves and highlights the importance of accounting for crop management in the assessment of the ecological impact of GM plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Downhill skiing, the machine-grading of slopes and the use of artificial snow induce major disturbances to the environment of alpine ski resorts. Our study aims to quantify the impacts of different ski piste management types (graded/ungraded; with/without artificial snow) on the environment and its development over time. 2. We re-sampled study plots established 8 years earlier and compared vegetation and soil characteristics on different types of ski pistes to adjacent off-piste control plots, and analysed vegetation changes over time. 3. Generally, machine-grading led to a decreased plant cover and plant productivity, and increased indicator values for nutrients, light and soil base content compared to control plots. Ungraded ski pistes and artificial snow led to increased vegetation indicator values for nutrients and soil humidity. 4. Soil analyses conducted in 2008 generally confirmed the changes shown by the vegetation indicator values in 2000 and in 2008. Machine-grading had the greatest effects on soil characteristics by increasing soil density by more than 50%, by increasing pH and C/N ratio, and by decreasing total nitrogen concentrations. 5. The differences between piste and off-piste plots were similar to those found 8 years ago, but their proportions changed. The vegetation cover on machine-graded ski pistes decreased over the 8 years, showing no sign of recovery or succession. Ungraded ski pistes showed increased differences in indicator values for reactivity and humus between piste and control plots compared to the results obtained 8 years earlier. 6. Synthesis and applications. Machine-grading of ski runs and downhill skiing in general induced long-lasting impacts on vegetation and on both chemical and physical soil characteristics. Even though few impacts of artificial snow were significant, our results suggest that it may change moisture status of the vegetation, and thus caution is warranted when used in dry and nutrient-poor habitats. The vegetation cover on machine-graded pistes deteriorated over a period of 8 years, illustrating that natural recovery did not occur in these alpine habitats. Consequently, the construction of new pistes by machine-grading in alpine habitats should be avoided, and existing pistes should be managed to avert further disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Harvesting of large mammals is usually not random, and directional selection has been identified as the main cause of rapid evolution. However, selective harvesting in meat and recreational hunting cultures does not automatically imply directional selection for trait size. 2. Harvesting selectivity is more than a matter of hunter preference. Selection is influenced by management regulations, hunting methods, animal trait variance, behaviour and abundance. Most studies of hunter selection only report age- or sex-specific selection, or differences in trait size selection among hunting methods or groups of hunters, rather than trait size relative to the age-specific means required for directional selection. 3. Synthesis and applications. Managers aiming to avoid rapid evolution should not only consider directional selection and trophy hunting but also mitigate other important evolutionary forces such as harvesting intensity per se, and sexual selection processes that are affected by skewed sex ratios and age structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies have investigated adaptation to climate change. However, the term 'adaptation' has been used ambiguously and sometimes included parts of both classic evolutionary processes and conservation planning measures (i.e. human-mediated adaptation). To reduce ambiguity, we define three classes of evolutionary processes involved in adaptation - migrational, novel-variant and plasticity. Migrational adaptation describes the process of redistribution of standing genetic variation among populations. Novel-variant adaptation describes the increase in frequency of beneficial, new genetic variants. Plasticity adaptation refers to adaptive plastic responses of organisms to environmental stressors. Quite separately, human-mediated adaptation aims to maintain these evolutionary processes. Whilst the role of scattered trees in migrational adaptation of fauna may have been neglected in the past, their capacity to assist migrational adaptation of trees has been previously documented. However, their role in novel-variant and plasticity adaptation is generally unrecognised, and warrants further attention. Synthesis and applications. By defining different aspects of adaptation carefully, we show that scattered trees should not be cleared since they may facilitate gene flow across fragmented landscapes. However, they should be avoided as dominant seed sources since their stock may be of poor quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of indicators to identify areas of conservation importance has been challenged on several grounds, but nonetheless retains appeal as no more parsimonious approach exists. Among the many variants, two indicator strategies stand out: the use of indicator species and the use of metrics of landscape structure. While the first has been thoroughly studied, the same cannot be said about the latter. We aimed to contrast the relative efficacy of species-based and landscape-based indicators by: (i) comparing their ability to reflect changes in community integrity at regional and landscape spatial scales, (ii) assessing their sensitivity to changes in data resolution, and (iii) quantifying the degree to which indicators that are generated in one landscape or at one spatial scale can be transferred to additional landscapes or scales. We used data from more than 7000 bird captures in 65 sites from six 10 000-ha landscapes with different proportions of forest cover in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. Indicator species and landscape-based indicators were tested in terms of how effective they were in reflecting changes in community integrity, defined as deviations in bird community composition from control areas. At the regional scale, indicator species provided more robust depictions of community integrity than landscape-based indicators. At the landscape scale, however, landscape-based indicators performed more effectively, more consistently and were also more transferable among landscapes. The effectiveness of high resolution landscape-based indicators was reduced by just 12% when these were used to explain patterns of community integrity in independent data sets. By contrast, the effectiveness of species-based indicators was reduced by 33%. Synthesis and applications. The use of indicator species proved to be effective; however their results were variable and sensitive to changes in scale and resolution, and their application requires extensive and time-consuming field work. Landscape-based indicators were not only effective but were also much less context-dependent. The use of landscape-based indicators may allow the rapid identification of priority areas for conservation and restoration, and indicate which restoration strategies should be pursued, using remotely sensed imagery. We suggest that landscape-based indicators might often be a better, simpler, and cheaper strategy for informing decisions in conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birds inhabiting farmland are of conservation concern around the world. In Australia, conservation management has focused primarily on woodland environments. By contrast, semi-natural open areas have received less attention. We argue that long-term conservation strategies should consider broad gradients of environmental conditions. Otherwise, there is a risk that semi-natural open areas will degrade through 'benign neglect', and currently common species using these areas will become uncommon. We examined how birds responded to three environmental gradients in an Australian livestock grazing landscape: tree density, grazing intensity and nutrient enrichment. First, we investigated changes in species composition across the environmental gradients in multivariate space. Secondly, we modelled species richness and the response of selected individual species in relation to the gradients. Thirdly, we examined if there were patterns in guild composition and body mass distribution. Tree density was the primary driver of virtually all patterns observed. Species richness peaked at moderately high tree densities. With increasing tree density, species composition changed, foraging guild composition changed and the median body mass of bird species decreased. Small insectivores were more likely to occur in areas with high tree densities, whereas large granivores were more likely to occur in areas with relatively low tree densities. Grazing intensity and nutrient enrichment were less strongly related to bird distribution patterns, although the indirect effects of these gradients may be substantial because they affect tree regeneration. s Synthesis and applications. Relatively dense woodland patches were important for species already of conservation concern, lending support to their active conservation management, for example through livestock exclusion. However, semi-natural open areas also were used by many birds, which represented a different mix of body sizes and foraging guilds. Scattered trees occurring at a range of densities are key habitat elements in semi-natural open areas. However, many scattered trees are dying and are not being replaced by natural regeneration or tree planting. If areas with scattered trees continue to degrade, there is a risk that currently common farmland birds will decline. Management strategies aiming to maintain scattered trees therefore are important, including the planting of individual trees and the adoption of grazing practices that allow for natural tree regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to conserve and create linkages among fragmented habitats has given rise to a range of techniques for maximizing connectivity. Methods to identify optimal habitat linkages face trade-offs between constraints on model inputs and biological relevance of model outputs. Given the popularity of these methods and their central role in landscape planning, it is critical that they be reliable and robust. The most popular method used to inform habitat linkage design, least-cost path (LCP) analysis, designates a landscape resistance surface based on hypothetical 'costs' that landscape components impose on species movement, and identifies paths that minimize cumulative costs between locations. While LCP analysis represents a valuable method for conservation planning, its current application has several weaknesses. Here, we review LCP analysis and identify shortcomings of its current application that decrease biological relevance and conservation utility. We examine trends in published LCP analyses, demonstrate the implications of methodological choices with our own LCP analysis for bighorn sheep Ovis canadensis nelsoni, and point to future directions in cost modelling. Our review highlights three weaknesses common in recent LCP analyses. First, LCP models typically rely on remotely sensed habitat maps, but few studies assess whether such maps are suitable proxies for factors affecting animal movement or consider the effects of adjacent habitats. Secondly, many studies use expert opinion to assign costs associated with landscape features, yet few validate these costs with empirical data or assess model sensitivity to errors in cost assignment. Thirdly, studies that consider multiple, alternative movement paths often propose width or length requirements for linkages without justification. Synthesis and applications. LCP modelling and similar approaches to linkage design guide connectivity planning, yet often lack a biological or empirical foundation. Ecologists must clarify the biological processes on which resistance values are based, explicitly justify cost schemes and scale (grain) of analysis, evaluate the effects of landscape context and sensitivity to cost schemes, and strive to optimize cost schemes with empirical data. Research relating species' fine-grain habitat use to movement across broad extents is desperately needed, as are methods to determine biologically relevant length and width restrictions for linkages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several conservation initiatives are aiming to improve the status of the rapidly dwindling populations of tiger Panthera tigris. However, possible cascading effects of intra-guild competition on other sympatric carnivores are rarely considered while planning such recovery programmes. In this study, we examine how, following the reduction of anthropogenic pressures by relocation of pastoralists, a recovering tiger population affects leopards Panthera pardus in the Chilla Range of Rajaji National Park (RNP), India. By combining data gathered over 4 years (2004-2005 to 2007-2008) on prey availability, food habits and population density of the two predators, we investigate some of the mechanisms of niche partitioning. Based on existing information, we predicted that there would be high dietary overlap between the two predators. Over time, optimal habitats would be dominated by tigers forcing leopards to the periphery of the protected area where they would subsist on small prey and domestic livestock. Consequently, leopards would occur at a lower density where sympatric with tigers. Our results confirmed that annual dietary overlap (0·89, 0·82, 0·78, 0·77) between the two predators was high during the study. As expected, we observed a shift in the diet of leopards towards a significantly higher intake of domestic prey (∼6·8% to ∼31·8%) and small prey (∼9% to ∼36%). Mean leopard density declined from 9·76 animals per 100 km in 2004-2005 to 2·07 per 100 km in 2007-2008, while the mean density of tigers increased from 3·31 per 100 km to 5·81 per 100 km over the same period. Synthesis and applications. Although based on small sample sizes, our study revealed that over the 4 years following the relocation of pastoralists out of RNP, the tiger population recovered but leopard densities declined sharply. The concurrent shift in leopard diet indicated heightened livestock depredation from the surrounding area. Therefore, it is important that conservation initiatives targeting the recovery of tigers should be preceded by careful examination of interspecific interactions with sympatric carnivores. Comprehensive human-carnivore conflict management measures like monitoring the extent of livestock depredation, improving livestock management and providing adequate compensation and/or insurance schemes are critical for successfully implementing such conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural intensification reduces ecological resilience of land-use systems, whereas paradoxically, environmental change and climate extremes require a higher response capacity than ever. Adaptation strategies to environmental change include maintenance of shade trees in tropical agroforestry, but conversion of shaded to unshaded systems is common practice to increase short-term yield. In this paper, we review the short-term and long-term ecological benefits of shade trees in coffee Coffea arabica, C. canephora and cacao Theobroma cacao agroforestry and emphasize the poorly understood, multifunctional role of shade trees for farmers and conservation alike. Both coffee and cacao are tropical understorey plants. Shade trees in agroforestry enhance functional biodiversity, carbon sequestration, soil fertility, drought resistance as well as weed and biological pest control. However, shade is needed for young cacao trees only and is less important in older cacao plantations. This changing response to shade regime with cacao plantation age often results in a transient role for shade and associated biodiversity in agroforestry. Abandonment of old, unshaded cacao in favour of planting young cacao in new, thinned forest sites can be named 'short-term cacao boom-and-bust cycle', which counteracts tropical forest conservation. In a 'long-term cacao boom-and-bust cycle', cacao boom can be followed by cacao bust due to unmanageable pest and pathogen levels (e.g. in Brazil and Malaysia). Higher pest densities can result from physiological stress in unshaded cacao and from the larger cacao area planted. Risk-averse farmers avoid long-term vulnerability of their agroforestry systems by keeping shade as an insurance against insect pest outbreaks, whereas yield-maximizing farmers reduce shade and aim at short-term monetary benefits. Synthesis and applications. Sustainable agroforestry management needs to conserve or create a diverse layer of multi-purpose shade trees that can be pruned rather than removed when crops mature. Incentives from payment-for-ecosystem services and certification schemes encourage farmers to keep high to medium shade tree cover. Reducing pesticide spraying protects functional agrobiodiversity such as antagonists of pests and diseases, pollinating midges determining cacao yields and pollinating bees enhancing coffee yield. In a landscape perspective, natural forest alongside agroforestry allows noncrop-crop spillover of a diversity of functionally important organisms. Knowledge transfer between farmers, agronomists and ecologists in a participatory approach helps to encourage a shade management regime that balances economic and ecological needs and provides a 'diversified food-and-cash crop' livelihood strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollination interactions comprise a network of connections between flowers and insect visitors. They are crucial for reproductive success in many angiosperms but are threatened by intensive agricultural practices. Although less intensive approaches, including organic farming, could improve farmland biodiversity, it is not clear whether or not these approaches enhance wild plant pollination and the stability of insect-flower interaction networks. We investigated the effects of organic vs. conventional farming on insect-flower interaction network size and structure, bee and hoverfly diversity, and pollination in 10 pairs of organic and conventional dairy farms in the Republic of Ireland. We found that insect-flower interaction networks on organic farms were larger and more asymmetrically structured than networks on conventional farms. Overall, however, networks contained fewer taxa and niche overlap and plant/animal ratios were relatively low compared with previously documented insect-flower interaction networks. Organic farms did attract higher numbers of bees partly because of higher floral abundances (mainly Trifolium sp.). Hoverfly evenness was greater in organic farms but neither abundance, richness nor evenness was related to floral abundance, suggesting organic farms provide additional resources for hoverflies. Pollination of Crataegus monogyna hawthorn was higher on organic farms, although pollen deposition was limited. Synthesis and applications. Organic dairy farming can increase the size and alter the structure of insect-flower interaction networks. However, network stability was not improved and all networks (organic and conventional) were vulnerable because of their small size, low niche overlap and low plant/animal ratios. Nonetheless, organic farming provided more flowers that attracted more flower visitors and improved pollination of C. monogyna. We suggest that strategic management of important flowers for pollinators in hedgerows and pastures should be endorsed in agri-environmental schemes. Sowing Trifolium spp., and allowing these plants to flower, could benefit bees, but more research into hoverfly ecology is necessary before realistic conservation recommendations can be made for this group. We conclude that organic farming, although not the solution in its present form, can benefit insect biodiversity, insect-flower interaction networks and insect-mediated pollination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]