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Copyright of International Forestry Review is the property of Commonwealth Forestry Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Global agreement on 30×30 means an unprecedented last push to define how much nature will be left on the planet. At the same time that space for nature is being defined, climate change will be moving nature around. Species are now on the move to track climate change both on land and in the oceans, a process that is accelerating under dramatic new extreme events. This is an opportune time to review conservation recommendations made early in the millennium, to see how many have been taken on board over the past 20 years, and how much is left to be done to adapt to climate change as conservation pushes toward 30×30. The history of Climate Change–Integrated Conservation Strategies begins with two papers published by a group of prominent climate change biologists in 2002. The importance of including adaptation to climate change in conservation was underscored by the first estimates of extinction risk due to climate change in 2004. Subsequent literature has developed concepts such as velocity of climate change and assisted migration. Regional modeling of biodiversity change, expanding protected areas to facilitate species range movements, and managing productive landscapes to facilitate species movements are all now considered "business as usual" for conservation planning for climate change. Regional coordination of conservation efforts to ensure that species on the move are managed for climate change consistently across their range, on the other hand, is under-represented in literature and practice. Improving both theory and practice of regional coordination for climate change is an important priority for conservation now and in the future. Conservation for climate change has focused mostly on warming scenarios, but failure to act on climate change emissions reduction means that meeting Paris Agreement targets will almost certainly have to include both warming past those targets and subsequent cooling back to the target. Managing this double transition is a second critical point of emphasis for climate change biology as the world moves to 30×30. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: The 3 spotted owl (Strix occidentalis) subspecies in North America (i.e., northern spotted owl [S. o. caurina], California spotted owl [S. o. occidentalis], Mexican spotted owl [S. o. lucida]) have all experienced population declines over the past century due to habitat loss and fragmentation from logging. Now, the emerging influences of climate change, high‐severity fire, and barred owl (Strix varia) invasion also appear to be synergistically and differentially affecting population trends of each subspecies. Our objective was to review the existing literature on the spotted owl to describe historical and emerging threats and whether those threats have been adequately examined for each subspecies. Using 527 publications from a Web of Science search of the literature from 1900–2015, we statistically evaluated the emphasis placed on each subspecies regarding 4 influences: mechanical tree removal, fire, climate change, and barred owl invasion. There were 98 papers that explicitly examined the effects of ≥1 of these influences. Most of these papers were focused on the northern spotted owl, and for all 3 subspecies, most papers examined short‐term effects only. We used our results to identify significant information gaps relative to historical and emerging threats. Commercial timber harvesting remains a potential threat for all 3 spotted owl subspecies, but effects from forest thinning may be increasing because of the heightened emphasis on fuels reduction and forest restoration treatments on public lands. Owl response to mechanical tree removal, especially forest thinning, remains understudied. Climate change also may threaten all 3 subspecies. Changes in climate likely affect survival and reproduction of spotted owls and their prey, and alter habitat availability by affecting disturbance regimes and vegetation composition and succession, but little empirical information is available describing specific responses to climate change. The literature on response to high‐severity fire is sparse for some subspecies, primarily short‐term in nature, and not consistent. Barred owl invasion is a major threat to the northern spotted owl and the California spotted owl but does not currently threaten the Mexican spotted owl. Rigorous research on the response of spotted owls to all factors influencing population change, particularly for the Mexican spotted owl, is needed. The most useful information for predicting owl response to these threats stems primarily from long‐term studies of owl demography. The lack of such studies within the range of the Mexican spotted owl greatly limits our understanding of its population dynamics and our ability to predict the effects of various threats on Mexican spotted owl populations. For all 3 subspecies, we encourage long‐term studies of their responses to threats, using uniquely marked owls across large spatial extents to account for spatiotemporal variability in ecological conditions within and among subspecies. © 2018 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between climate warming and alien fish invasions could have severe consequences in inland waters, which represent isolated environments with high biodiversity richness. Due to the current climatic trend, increasing water temperatures and salinization, shorter ice cover period, and altered flow regimes are predicted for these environments. The aim of this review is to offer a comprehensive analysis at a global scale of the recent studies available in the literature, focused on the responses of invasive freshwater fish to the effects of climate change in both lotic and lentic environments. To achieve this purpose, we selected 34 relevant papers, using the Scopus and Google Scholar database. New alien species establishment, distribution range expansion of species already introduced, and exacerbating impacts on freshwater ecosystems and the native fish communities they host were included in the topics covered by the analyzed papers. Despite the uncertainties related to the unpredictability with which the effects of global warming will occur, the findings of the selected studies served as a support to evaluate conservation and management implications, with particular reference to possible mitigation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological records from before and after the creation of natural parks are valuable for informing conservation and management but are often unavailable. High-resolution paleoecological studies may bridge the gap and provide the required information. This paper presents a 20th-century subdecadal reconstruction of vegetation and landscape dynamics in a national park of the Pyrenean highlands. The park lands had traditionally been used for cultivation, extensive grazing, forest exploitation, and hydroelectricity generation following the damming of numerous glacial lakes. A significant finding is that forests have dominated the landscape, with negligible changes in composition, and only experienced fluctuations in forest cover, influenced by both climatic and anthropogenic factors. The creation of the park (1955) and the initial restrictions on forest exploitation did not significantly affect vegetation cover or composition. Major forest expansion did not occur until several decades later, 1980, when the park was enlarged and forest exploitation was further restricted. This expansion peaked in the 1990s, coinciding with a warming trend and a decrease in fire incidence, before declining due to warmer and drier climates. This decline was coeval with the ongoing global forest dieback and may be exacerbated by the predicted global warming in this century, which could also increase fire incidence due to dead-wood accumulation. Currently, the main threats are global warming/drying, fire, and tourism intensification. Similar high-resolution paleoecological records in protected areas are globally scarce and would be capable in providing the long-term ecological scope required to properly understand forest dynamics and optimize conservation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With scientific and societal interest in biodiversity impacts of climate change growing enormously over the last decade, we analysed directions and biases in the recent most highly cited data papers in this field of research (from 2012 to 2014). The majority of this work relied on leveraging large databases of already collected historical information (but not paleo- or genetic data), and coupled these to new methodologies for making forward projections of shifts in species’ geographical ranges, with a focus on temperate and montane plants. A consistent finding was that the pace of climate-driven habitat change, along with increased frequency of extreme events, is outpacing the capacity of species or ecological communities to respond and adapt.

This special issue, brought together during a time of unprecedented global change, represents a unique collection of papers that shed light on the current and future significance of mycorrhiza‐forming fungi in the human world. Across this selection of papers, we explore the significance and potential of mycorrhizal fungi to contribute towards our achievement of global change goals of improved sustainability, food security and conservation as well as how we might best implement mycorrhizal knowledge and technologies to achieve these outcomes in modern societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In complex networks such as road infrastructure systems, disruptive events have direct consequences (loss of lives, structural damage, economic losses, etc.) related to the sub-system level directly affected, as well as indirect consequences on the overall system level, such as loss of functionality and related monetary consequences. To quantify the influence of component failures on network performance, complex network analysis makes it possible to represent the relation between its components and the consequences to estimate the functionality of the system. The serviceability of a road network is the possibility to use it during a given time period, and represents the performance of the system. Thus, time to restored serviceability after a disruptive event is a measure of road transportation resilience. In this paper, network analysis performed by the OSMnx Python package, supplied by road network data from OpenStreetMap, is applied to a Spanish motorway case study. The loss of serviceability index is obtained, combining the results of road links failure scenarios based on shortest paths and travel times to estimate road network resilience. The proposed methodology allows a suitable evaluation of the influence of road links in the risk assessment and management strategies by road infrastructure owners and managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hatcheries and stocking programs serve a variety of objectives, including the conservation of salmon populations. Much attention has been given to the importance of genetic integrity and adaptive capacity of salmon stocks, particularly as they interact with hatchery‐origin fish. Literature on hatchery and stocking programs has increasingly focused on genetic indicators of quality and success, with genetically 'wild' salmon valued over hatchery‐influenced salmon. However, conservation in the Anthropocene is challenging paradigms of wildness and definitions of conservation success. For salmon populations that exist on the ragged edge of climate change where threats are unlikely to be remediated to the status of ecologies past, definitions of 'wild' and the role of conservation hatcheries and stocking becomes convoluted. If definitions of 'wild' or 'natural' salmon depend on salmon archetypes situated in historic ecologies, then what do salmon futures look like? In that context, we argue to expand from primarily genetic criteria for conservation stocking to additional criteria cognizant of hybrid ecosystems and future human‐salmon relationships. We draw on the concept of adaptive epistemologies within the context of conservation‐oriented hatchery and stocking programs to critically reflect on knowledge paradigms and values that underlie salmon conservation stocking efforts and the changing ecosystems in which they are situated. We critique 'wild' discourses rooted in western thought and make suggestions toward a reimagining of salmon conservation‐via‐hatchery in the Anthropocene that allows for expansive human‐salmon futures. Critically, we conclude with warnings against using the arguments in this paper as social permission to use hatcheries as a conservation panacea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current sustainability challenges demand approaches that acknowledge a plurality of human–nature interactions and worldviews, for which biocultural approaches are considered appropriate and timely.This systematic review analyses the application of biocultural approaches to sustainability in scientific journal articles published between 1990 and 2018 through a mixed methods approach combining qualitative content analysis and quantitative multivariate methods.The study identifies seven distinct biocultural lenses, that is, different ways of understanding and applying biocultural approaches, which to different degrees consider the key aspects of sustainability science—inter‐ and transdisciplinarity, social justice and normativity.The review suggests that biocultural approaches in sustainability science need to move from describing how nature and culture are co‐produced to co‐producing knowledge for sustainability solutions, and in so doing, better account for questions of power, gender and transformations, which has been largely neglected thus far. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Contemporary and projected shifts in global fire regimes highlight the importance of understanding how fire affects ecosystem function and biodiversity across taxa and geographies. Pyrodiversity, or heterogeneity in fire history, is often an important driver of biodiversity, though it has been largely overlooked until relatively recently. In this paper, we synthesise previous research to develop a theoretical framework on pyrodiversity–biodiversity relationships and propose future research and conservation management directions. Theoretical Framework: Pyrodiversity may affect biodiversity by diversifying available ecological niches, stabilising community networks and/or supporting diverse species pools available for post‐fire colonisation. Further, pyrodiversity's effects on biodiversity vary across different spatial, temporal and organismal scales depending on the mobility and other life history traits of the organisms in question and may be mediated by regional eco‐evolutionary factors such as historical fire regimes. Developing a generalisable understanding of pyrodiversity effects on biodiversity has been challenging, in part because pyrodiversity can be quantified in various ways. Applying the Pyrodiversity Concept: Exclusion of Indigenous fire stewardship, fire suppression, increased unplanned ignitions and climate change have led to dramatic shifts in fire regimes globally. Such shifts include departures from historic levels of pyrodiversity and add to existing challenges to biodiversity conservation in fire‐prone landscapes. Managers navigating these challenges can be aided by targeted research into observed contemporary pyrodiversity–biodiversity relationships as well as knowledge of historical reference conditions informed by both Indigenous and local ecological knowledge and western science. Future Research Directions: Several promising avenues exist for the advancement of pyrodiversity science to further both theoretical and practical goals. These lines of investigation include but are not limited to (1) testing the increasing variety of pyrodiversity metrics and analytical approaches; (2) assessing the spatial and temporal scale‐dependence of pyrodiversity's influence; (3) reconstructing historical pyrodiversity patterns and developing methods for predicting and/or promoting future pyrodiversity; and (4) expanding the focus of pyrodiversity science beyond biodiversity to better understand its influence on ecosystem function and processes more broadly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is one of the main threats to biodiversity in the 21st century. However, the effects that it may have on different mammal species are unknown, making it difficult to implement conservation strategies. In this paper, we used species distribution models (SDM) to assess the effect of global climate change on the potential distribution of the 8 of the 9 marsupial species in Mexico, and analyzed their distribution in the current system of natural protected areas (NPAs). We used presence records for each species and bioclimatic variables from the present and the future (2050 and 2080) with 2 contrasting possible scenarios (representative concentration pathways RCP 4.5 and 8.5). We found that Tlacuatzin canescens would have the most stable potential range under any climate change scenario, while the remaining species (Caluromys derbianus, Chironectes minimus, Didelphis marsupialis, D. virginiana, Philander opossum, Marmosa mexicana , and Metachirus nudicaudatus) would undergo notable range losses in the future, though there would not only be losses—according to our SDMs, for all species there would be some range gain under the different climate scenarios, assuming the vegetation cover remained. The current system of NPAs in Mexico currently protects and under the 2 future scenarios would protect less than 20% of the potential range of marsupials, so a reevaluation of their areas beyond the NPAs is highly recommended for the long-term conservation of this group. Our results provide relevant information on the estimated effects of global climate change on marsupials, allowing us to design more effective methodologies for the protection of this portion of the mammalian fauna in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protection of Antarctica's biodiversity and ecosystem values is enshrined in the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, which provides for the designation of Antarctic Specially Protected Areas (ASPAs) to areas with outstanding values. Concern has been raised that existing ASPAs fail to prioritize areas to maximize the likelihood of ensuring the long-term conservation of Antarctic ecosystems and biodiversity. The absence of systematic and representative protection is particularly acute for inland aquatic ecosystems, which support a disproportionate amount of inland biodiversity. This paper promotes the case for overt inclusion of inland waters as a critical component of a representative protected area framework for Antarctica, thereby addressing their current underrepresentation. We set out a structured approach to enable the selection of representative freshwater systems for inclusion in the ASPA framework that, with modification, could also be applied across other Antarctic habitats. We acknowledge an overall lack of information on the biogeography of inland aquatic diversity and recommend increased use of remote data collection along with classification tools to mitigate this, as well as the need for the consideration of catchment-scale processes. Changes that accompany contemporary and anticipated climate change make the need for the conservation of representative biodiversity increasingly urgent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how species respond to climate change is key to informing vulnerability assessments and designing effective conservation strategies, yet research efforts on wildlife responses to climate change fail to deliver a representative overview due to inherent biases. Bats are a species‐rich, globally distributed group of organisms that are thought to be particularly sensitive to the effects of climate change because of their high surface‐to‐volume ratios and low reproductive rates. We systematically reviewed the literature on bat responses to climate change to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge, identify research gaps and biases and highlight future research needs. We found that studies are geographically biased towards Europe, North America and Australia, and temperate and Mediterranean biomes, thus missing a substantial proportion of bat diversity and thermal responses. Less than half of the published studies provide concrete evidence for bat responses to climate change. For over a third of studied bat species, response evidence is only based on predictive species distribution models. Consequently, the most frequently reported responses involve range shifts (57% of species) and changes in patterns of species diversity (26%). Bats showed a variety of responses, including both positive (e.g. range expansion and population increase) and negative responses (range contraction and population decrease), although responses to extreme events were always negative or neutral. Spatial responses varied in their outcome and across families, with almost all taxonomic groups featuring both range expansions and contractions, while demographic responses were strongly biased towards negative outcomes, particularly among Pteropodidae and Molossidae. The commonly used correlative modelling approaches can be applied to many species, but do not provide mechanistic insight into behavioural, physiological, phenological or genetic responses. There was a paucity of experimental studies (26%), and only a small proportion of the 396 bat species covered in the examined studies were studied using long‐term and/or experimental approaches (11%), even though they are more informative about the effects of climate change. We emphasise the need for more empirical studies to unravel the multifaceted nature of bats' responses to climate change and the need for standardised study designs that will enable synthesis and meta‐analysis of the literature. Finally, we stress the importance of overcoming geographic and taxonomic disparities through strengthening research capacity in the Global South to provide a more comprehensive view of terrestrial biodiversity responses to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water resources in Pakistan are sharply declining due to average annual increase in population and the changing geo-political landscape. The long term resolution lies in cautious expenditure of water and consciousness to preserve. This resource consciousness ultimately derives strategies for better management of water and its associated usage as both together can have far reaching effects for consumption of water and its use for electricity production as mainstay of Pakistan's energy needs. The authors have made an earnest endeavor to notify the significance of fresh water, rapid depletion of its resources and the serious hazards affiliated with this phenomenon. The research paper encompasses a detailed evaluation of available statistics of water flow in the river system, its storage in glaciers and manmade reservoirs. The paper also dilates upon challenges linked with climate change, water shortages, insufficient storage capacities and weak management of available resources. Towards the end, the author has offered a way forward to make best use of available resources and ensure water security in the country. This is an academic undertaking; therefore, the views articulated in the article are those of the authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary developmental biology, and especially ecological developmental biology, is essential for discussions of sustainability and the responses to global climate change. First, this paper explores examples of animals that have successfully altered their development to accommodate human‐made changes to their environments. We next document the ability of global warming to disrupt the development of those organisms with temperature‐dependent sex‐determination or with phenologies coordinating that organism's development with those of other species. The thermotolerance of Homo sapiens is also related to key developmental factors concerning brain development and maintenance, and the development of corals, the keystone organisms of tropical reefs, is discussed in relation to global warming as well as to other anthropogenic changes. While teratogenic and endocrine‐disrupting compounds are not discussed in this essay, the ability of glyphosate herbicides to block insect development is highlighted. Last, the paper discusses the need to creatively integrate developmental biology with ecological, political, religious, and economic perspectives, as the flourishing of contemporary species may require altering the ways that Western science has considered the categories of nature, culture, and self. Research Highlights: Knowledge of developmental biology is critical for discussions of sustainability and for the possibilities of multispecies flourishing. Endangered coral reefs and turtle species highlight the developmental interactions between the biotic and abiotic portions of the environment. Developmental biology must interact creatively with philosophy, economics, religion, politics in order for environmental survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Islamika is the property of Center for the Study of Islam & Society of UIN Jakarta and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Anthropogenic disturbances and climate change are expected to reorganize biodiversity on multiple ecological levels from populations to ecosystems, especially in arid and semiarid regions due to environmental filtering imposed by water stress. This paper examines the individual and combined effects of chronic anthropogenic disturbance and increased aridity on the structure of fruit-feeding butterfly assemblages in a human-modified landscape of Caatinga dry forest, in the northeast of Brazil. Butterflies were recorded monthly across old-growth forest stands and their assemblages were described in terms of taxonomic and functional community-level attributes confronted to different levels of chronic disturbance and aridity. Butterfly assemblages were species-poor but had high species replacement (turnover) along both the chronic disturbance and aridity gradients. We observed a negative effect of aridity on alpha and beta diversity of butterfly assemblages. Butterfly assemblages across forest stands exposed to high levels of chronic disturbance and aridity had a nested structure. Functional diversity (Rao's Q) and the community-weighted means (CWM) of ocellus-bearing species and monocot-feeding larvae were negatively and positively affected by increased aridity and chronic disturbance, respectively. Our findings suggest that aridity and its combination with chronic disturbance have a drastic effect on the structure of butterfly assemblages in the Caatinga dry forest. These findings highlight that rainfall and chronic disturbances as major drivers of biological reorganization in human-modified landscapes. As aridity increases, Caatinga tends to support taxonomically and functionally impoverished and highly distorted assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biologica Nyssana is the property of University of Nis, Department of Biology & Ecology, Faculty of Sciences & Mathematics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Changing weather patterns, increasing frequency and intensity of natural hazards, and rising sea levels associated with global climate change have the potential to threaten cultural heritage sites worldwide. This is especially the case for maritime heritage sites located in the low-lying coastal and delta regions of Asia. Maritime heritage can reflect both highly localized cultural products based on the coupling of people and maritime environments and the historic footprints of complex maritime networks that connect people, ideas, and material over vast distances, creating unique cultural spheres. Furthermore, maritime heritage sites potentially serve as or contain records of how past societies have been impacted by and adapted to past environmental stress. Therefore, their degradation threatens local/regional/global cultural patrimony as well as evidence of human resilience and fragility in the face of environmental change. This makes a strong case for urgent preservation. However, the possible damage caused by climate change and the scale of vulnerable maritime heritage pose seemingly insurmountable challenges. In this paper, we present the ways in which maritime heritage sites across Asia are vulnerable to environmental stresses, such as changing sea levels, coastal erosion, flooding, and storm surges. Our objective is to draw upon our experience documenting endangered cultural heritage across South and Southeast Asia to illustrate that there are unique conceptual and practical characteristics of maritime heritage that complicate effective management and conservation efforts on the scale required to prevent massive loss by climate change. We conclude by stressing the need to reconceptualize debates about the custody and stewardship of maritime heritage and the urgency of employing a wide range of innovative preservation solutions to ensure maritime patrimony is not lost to the rising tides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past twelve years the number of papers that explore the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in the conservation literature has grown on average by 20% annually. By categorising these papers on their primary research questions, we show that the vast majority of these articles (88.6%) focus only on those impacts that arise directly as a result of climate change, ignoring the potentially significant indirect threats that arise from human adaptation responses. This pattern has remained fairly consistent throughout the review period (2000-2012), with a trend towards more articles considering both direct and indirect impacts towards the end of the period. We also find a bias in the time-frames considered by published articles that project future impacts of climate change on biodiversity, with more than three-quarters (77.9%) of papers only considering impacts after 2031, and almost half (49.1%) only considering impacts after 2051. This focus on long-term, direct impacts creates a mismatch, not only with the life-cycles of species and timescales of many ecological processes, but also with most management and policy timelines and the short-term nature of human decision making processes. The focus on studying the long-term, direct impacts of climate change on biodiversity is likely a function of the lack of availability of climate projections on shorter temporal scales; a perception that short-term impacts will be minor; and, insufficient integration with the social and political sciences. While the direct impact of changes in mean climatic conditions will significantly change the biosphere by the end of the century, near term changes in seasonality and extreme events coupled with human adaptation responses are likely to have substantial impacts much sooner, threatening the survival of species and ecosystems. It is therefore essential that we balance our research efforts to facilitate a better understanding of these more imminent threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nepal is a global biodiversity hotspot, supporting 213 mammal species with diverse habitats across various landscape types, from the lowland Terai to the high Himalayas. Studies of Nepal's mammalian fauna are not evenly distributed and better understanding of past biases towards some species, research themes and locations can provide better strategic direction for future research investments. Therefore, we reviewed 575 scientific articles on mammals in Nepal, published between 2000 and 2019 and compiled these in March 2020, to examine trends, patterns and gaps, and pave future plans for mammalian research in Nepal. A positive increase in the number of publications (β = 0.27 ± 0.02SD, P < 0.00) was observed, with a more than threefold increase between 2010 and 2019 compared to 2000–2009 (t = − 6.26, df = 12.21, P < 0.000). Analysis of these documents revealed that mammalian researches favored large flagship, threatened species of carnivores inside Nepal's protected area system. Geographically, mammalian research was not uniform in Nepal, as most studies were concentrated in Bagmati Province and in the Terai and Chure region. Baseline surveys and ecological studies were more common types of research, while studies on the impact of climate change and wildlife trade and poaching, are scant, which deserves a future look. While these studies shape current mammalogy in Nepal, studies of small, uncharismatic species, and in areas outside protected areas and other provinces except Bagmati, Lumbini and Province One are severely lacking. The research identified habitat loss, degradation and human-wildlife conflict as the major threats to the survival of mammalian species in Nepal. Therefore, redesigning and strict implementation of policies based on habitat management and human-wildlife co-existence, including other threat mitigation measures, are warranted. To address knowledge gaps, the prioritization of future research and funding should be focused on relatively unexplored research themes and under-researched provinces. This approach will help to re-align the research focus with the current need, and assist to fully understand and effectively conserve the wealth of mammalian diversity that Nepal holds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest conversion for agriculture is the most expansive signature of human occupation on the Earth's surface. This paper develops a conceptual model of factors underlying frontier agricultural expansion--the predominant driver of deforestation worldwide--from the perspective of small farm households--the majority of farmers globally. The framework consists of four causal rubrics: demographic, socioeconomic, political--economic, and ecological. Following this approach, the article explores the current state of knowledge on tropical deforestation in tropical agricultural frontiers with a focus on Latin America, the region of greatest deforestation worldwide during recent decades. Neo-Malthusian arguments notwithstanding, in many tropical nations, deforestation has proceeded unabated in recent years despite declining rural populations. However, evidence from the global-to-household scale suggests that population size and composition are also related to farm forest conversion. Existing particularist or behaviorialist theories sometimes fail to capture key geographical and temporal dimensions, yet studies support the notion that certain cultural, individual, and household characteristics are crucial determinants of forest clearing. Conversely, while institutional arguments sometimes fail to emphasize that the ultimate land use change agents are local resource users, their livelihood decisions are shaped and constrained by policies governing economic subsidies, and market and infrastructure development. Further, although ecological change is usually modeled as an outcome in the deforestation literature, increasingly acute climate change and natural farm endowments form a dynamic tabula rasa on which household land use decisions are enabled. To more fully comprehend frontier forest conversion and to enhance protection and conservation while promoting vital local livelihoods, future research may fruitfully investigate the interaction of demographic, social, political, economic, and ecological factors across spatial scales and academic disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in rainfall patterns, humidity, and temperature, as well as greater exposure to severe weather events, has led to the need for adapting cultural heritage to climate change. However, there is limited research accomplished to date on the process of adaptation of cultural heritage to climate change. This paper examines the perceptions of experts involved in the management and preservation of cultural heritage on adaptation to climate change risks. For this purpose, semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts from the UK, Italy, and Norway as well as a participatory workshop with stakeholders. The results indicate that the majority of interviewees believe that adaptation of cultural heritage to climate change is possible. Opportunities for, barriers to, and requirements for adapting cultural heritage to climate change, as perceived by the interviewees, provided a better understanding of what needs to be provided and prioritized for adaptation to take place and in its strategic planning. Knowledge of management methodologies incorporating climate change impacts by the interviewees together with best practice examples in adapting cultural heritage to climate change are also reported. Finally, the interviewees identified the determinant factors for the implementation of climate change adaptation. This paper highlights the need for more research on this topic and the identification and dissemination of practical solutions and tools for the incorporation of climate change adaptation in the preservation and management of cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing concern over the sustainability of the tourism industry, which is blamed for contributing to several environmental challenges, including carbon emissions that lead to global warming and ultimately climate change. The industry is further blamed for causing ocean plastic pollution and associated negative impacts on the marine environment including fish deaths. Consequently, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation and other key role players have been calling for the tourism industry to embrace and localise the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) so as to address some of the concerns and in the process ensure buisness sustainability. However, since the Declaration of 2017 as the Year of Sustainable Tourism, very few studies have reviewed the role of tourism in the localisation of SDGs. Using primary, archival and secondary data, the paper presents an example of how a private nature reserve in the Cape Floral Kingdom (a World Heritage Site) has localised SDGs. The study shows that the Grootbos Foundation, Grootbos Private Nature Reserve has localised 16 SDGs through various initiatives targeting several aspects of business operations, including commerce, conservation, community, and culture. In addition, the study also highlights some critical challenges that are being faced by tourism companies in the localisation of SDGs which calls for greater scientific engagement and research so as to find innovative solutions. The study recommends the replication of the model by similar tourism businesses located near and in protected areas, to ensure tourism sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human impact is noticeable around the globe, indicating that a new era might have begun: the Anthropocene. Continuing human activities, including land‐use changes, introduction of non‐native species and rapid climate change, are altering the distributions of countless species, often giving rise to human‐mediated hybridization events. While the interbreeding of different populations or species can have detrimental effects, such as genetic extinction, it can be beneficial in terms of adaptive introgression or an increase in genetic diversity. In this paper, I first review the different mechanisms and outcomes of anthropogenic hybridization based on literature from the last five years (2016–2020). The most common mechanisms leading to the interbreeding of previously isolated taxa include habitat change (51% of the studies) and introduction of non‐native species (34% intentional and 19% unintentional). These human‐induced hybridization events most often result in introgression (80%). The high incidence of genetic exchange between the hybridizing taxa indicates that the application of a genic view of speciation (and introgression) can provide crucial insights on how to address hybridization events in the Anthropocene. This perspective considers the genome as a dynamic collection of genetic loci with distinct evolutionary histories, giving rise to a heterogenous genomic landscape in terms of genetic differentiation and introgression. First, understanding this genomic landscape can lead to a better selection of diagnostic genetic markers to characterize hybrid populations. Second, describing how introgression patterns vary across the genome can help to predict the likelihood of negative processes, such as demographic and genetic swamping, as well as positive outcomes, such as adaptive introgression. It is especially important to not only quantify how much genetic material introgressed, but also what has been exchanged. Third, comparing introgression patterns in pre‐Anthropocene hybridization events with current human‐induced cases might provide novel insights into the likelihood of genetic swamping or species collapse during an anthropogenic hybridization event. However, this comparative approach remains to be tested before it can be applied in practice. Finally, the genic view of introgression can be combined with conservation genomic studies to determine the legal status of hybrids and take appropriate measures to manage anthropogenic hybridization events. The interplay between evolutionary and conservation genomics will result in the constant exchange of ideas between these fields which will not only improve our knowledge on the origin of species, but also how to conserve and protect them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity is in chronic decline, and extreme events - such as wildfires - can add further episodes of acute losses. Fires of increasing magnitude will often overwhelm response capacity, and decision-makers need to make choices about what to protect. Conventionally, such choices prioritise human life then infrastructure then biodiversity. Based on shortcomings revealed in the 2019-20 Australian wildfires, we propose a series of linked steps that can be used to identify and prioritise biodiversity assets (including their priority relative to other types of assets), enhance and implement their protection through planning and practice, and strengthen legislation to safeguard them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shifts in species ranges and viability introduced by climate change are creating difficult challenges for scientists and citizens. In many cases, the seriousness of threats to endangered species is forcing policy makers and resource managers to consider novel species protection strategies, either to complement or replace existing conservation approaches. This paper seeks to deepen understanding of public views on a range of conventional and novel management initiatives designed to protect species under the threat of extinction, based on results from an online survey conducted in the USA and Canada. Participants first selected a preferred intervention strategy and were then presented with a series of scenarios, focused on protection of the endangered bristlecone pine, which allowed them to explore their willingness to shift to a new policy regime with a better chance of protecting the species. The use of a decision-pathways survey design allowed us to examine the strength of the nudge required to elicit a shift in their position and the reasoning underlying selection of a preferred management alternative. Results generally support the conclusion that, so long as a clear rationale is provided, there exists surprisingly widespread support for the adoption of novel management approaches to save threatened or endangered species even if this requires more intensive genetic and transformational interventions that are costly or ethically challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a time of increasing land enclosures sparked by large-scale environmental initiatives and agricultural expansion, this paper examines local and global contestations over the value of forest on an Indonesian forest frontier. Engaging with recent debates on carbon forestry, the paper problematises the emerging initiatives of ' Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation' known as REDD+ in the province of West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The paper argues that the general rush to implement REDD+ without intimate knowledge of the political landscape of resource struggle is in danger of generating new enclosures of land that may be easily appropriated by local elites, thus excluding less fortunate sections of local society. The paper shows how divergent interpretations of REDD+ are triggering land disputes, and how powerful actors readily appropriate REDD+ discourses as a tool to support divergent claims of land ownership. Government and villagers, through overlapping and contradictory engagements, negotiate REDD+ initiatives with global environmental actors and private plantation companies. The paper highlights the implications of these local realities for the successes of REDD+. The Kalimantan case highlights some of the dilemmas of carbon mitigation initiatives experienced in frontier regions throughout Southeast Asia, places that have become prime battlefronts of large-scale climate change initiatives and agrarian expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The waters around the Falkland Islands are used by many species of cetaceans, including endangered and data deficient species, but little is known about their populations. The Falkland Islands cetacean stranding database was transformed in a geo-spatial database using the available descriptions of the locations as no GPS locations were recorded until 2015. It was then used to analyse the spatial distribution of strandings over a period spanning the 1880s to 2015. A total of 169 stranding events could be given a location and mapped. Twelve stranding hotspots were identified. This paper also reports on the first recorded stranding of false killer-whales (Pseudorca crassidens) and Antarctic minke whale (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in the Falkland Islands, increasing the total species recorded to 26. Spatially-explicit cetacean stranding databases can provide important data to monitor cetaceans in the light of environmental changes from climate change or industrial development. In the case of the Falkland Islands (remote and sparsely inhabited), identification of hotspots could be used to design an aerial monitoring programme to increase chances of detecting stranding events, organise a rescue or necropsy team to gain samples. The results in this paper should enhance local capacity to conduct research (sample collection for pollutant analyses, genetic studies, etc.) and monitor impacts of human activities on cetacean populations, including from the historical baseline of average numbers and distribution of strandings provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the newspaper press was the leading public forum in the protracted debate over the supposed climatological effects of forests. Journalists acted as key intermediaries in the dispute between parliament, science and the public. The press was also a powerful pressure group in its own right. Newspaper reports contextualised the forest influence issue by linking it to three interrelated concerns: the cause of climate variability and change, the environmental impact of humans, and the need for forest conservation. This paper examines the role of the Australasian press in the debate along with the changing nature of the arguments and some aspects of its historical geography. Results are summarised from a systematic longitudinal survey that analysed over 1400 articles relevant to the forest influence debate published in 141 Australian and New Zealand newspapers between the years 1827 and 1956. The study concludes that the press was instrumental in politicising all sides of the debate and later in perpetuating it in popular culture long after both governments and institutional science had dismissed the idea that humans could alter climates by manipulating forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]