Search

To improve the accuracy of hydrological simulations in the groundwater overexploitation zone of North China, it is necessary to study the characteristics of shallow aquifer recharge on daily scale. Three shallow aquifer recharge indices were used to quantify shallow aquifer recharge in two ways. The recharge coefficient was used to quantify the amount of shallow aquifer recharge. The recharge duration and water table rise coefficient were used to quantify the recharge temporal process. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient and regression analysis were used to determine the relationships between aquifer water table depth (WTD), rainfall, and shallow aquifer recharge. The Jiangjiang River Basin, a tributary of the Haihe River, was selected as the study area. The results showed that the recharge coefficient first increased, then decreased, and finally leveled off as WTD increased. When WTD was between 5 and 6 m, the recharge coefficient reached its maximum (approximately 0.3). When WTD was greater than 10 m, the recharge coefficient remained stable (around 0.12). With regard to the sources and forms of recharge, preferential flow was dominant in the areas near the extraction wells. In contrast, plug flow became dominant in the areas distant from the wells. With the reduction of rainfall duration, the proportion of preferential flow contributing to aquifer recharge increased. With the increase of rainfall amount, the duration of aquifer recharge lengthened.

This study evaluates the effect of anthropogenic activities on Infranz Wetland biodiversity in Lake Tana area. Plant biodiversity data were collected from quadrants that were established in transect lines and macroinvertebrates were collected using 500 μm mesh size. A survey with 386 households, four focus group discussions and 24 key informant interviews were conducted to capture socioeconomic data. Shannon-Wiener diversity index, species percentage distribution and dominance, regeneration status and ecological importance index were computed to evaluate the plant and macroinvertebrates condition. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey data and qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The results of the biodiversity data showed ecological degradation of the study wetland. Though woody plants had rich (3.08) species diversity, more than 30% of species were represented only by four families which reflects overharvesting of the desired woody plant species. The non-ecological importance of 81.5% floristic plant species and the dominance of few macroinvertabrates such as tolerant taxa, predators and scrapers also implied the existence of habitat degradation. Furthermore, the dominance of emergent macrophytes implied the biodiversity loss of the wetland. Extraction of more than 15 billion cubic meter water for public water supply and khat irrigation, farmland expansion, eucalyptus plantation within the wetland, overgrazing and, overuse of papyrus were the principal factors for the wetland degradation and consequent loss of its biodiversity. Efforts have not been made to regulate the use of wetland resources. Thus, local governments should establish bylaws for sustainable use of the wetland.

Many households in Kenya depend on charcoal as an important source of energy. However, overharvesting of trees and the use of inefficient technologies promote unsustainable charcoal production. Furthermore, high demand for charcoal from slow-growing indigenous species contributes to increased pressure in the drylands, threatening future supply and livelihoods. Recent studies have shown that Prosopis juliflora an invasive species introduced to arrest desertification equally produces quality charcoal. Also, improved technologies with more efficient carbonization rates have the potential to reduce not only the number of trees harvested but also quality of charcoal. Despite the existence of improved technologies, and the presence of fast-growing Prosopis juliflora, charcoal production remains unsustainable in Baringo County. This study used choice experiments (CE) to determine charcoal producers willingness to pay (WTP) for improved charcoal production system in Marigat sub-county.The attributes measured include charcoal quality, wood quality, P.juliflora growth trend and kiln type. Primary data was collected from a sample of 384 randomly selected charcoal producers using a semi-structured questionnaire. Study results indicate that charcoal producers were willing to pay more charcoal quality improvement which is associated with improved production systems and quality wood. However, they were not willing to pay for improved kilns. The findings suggest that the charcoal producers have a natural inclination to improved technologies with the study recommending charcoal producer association (CPA) membership as the first and efficient point of contact to adopt and use improved technologies.

Gorai River is one of the important rivers in Bangladesh for rich aquatic biodiversity. The river is originated from the Ganges-Padma River system, a trans-boundary river between India and Bangladesh. Once the river was rich in fish biodiversity, but due to man-made and natural causes the availability of fish reduced drastically. A comprehensive analysis of fish diversity indices, gear efficiency, catch composition and decline causes of fish diversity in Gorai River, Bangladesh was accomplished. The data were collected on monthly basis from January to December 2018 from three major fishing sites of the river. A total of 62 fish and 2 prawn species under 12 orders and 24 families were recorded. Cypriniformes was the leading order consisting 27% of the total catch. The mean values of Shannon-Weaver diversity (H′), Simpson's index (1-D), Margalef's richness (d) and Pielou's evenness (J′) indices were recorded as, 1.478 ± 0.495, 0.57 ± 0.197, 15.115 ± 4.435 and 0.481 ± 0.152, respectively. At the similarity of 58.7%, two groups were attained in the cluster analysis and the Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (nMDS) showed 40% similarity among the three sites in twelve months based on the Bray-Curtis similarity matrix. The highest and lowest CPUE were recorded from seine net (5.2 ± 1.72 kg gear−1 haul−1) and hook & long lines (0.0135 ± 0.0015 kg gear−1haul−1), respectively whereas, highest and lowest gear efficiency were recorded from lift net (0.321 ± 0.036 kg gear−1person−1hour−1) and fish trap (0.0005 ± 0.0002 kg gear−1person−1hour−1), respectively. Alternatively, the highest fish catch was recorded on April (21228 ± 464.38 kg) and lowest on August (3855 ± 138.21 kg). According to the fishermen fish biodiversity of the Gorai River declined day by day due to overexploitation, destructive fishing practice, pollution, construction of obstacles for fish movement, and natural causes like siltation. Proper implementation of fish acts and regulations, use of authorized fishing gear, community-based fisheries management, sanctuary establishment and management, stocking of fish fingerling, and raising public awareness can play a great role in enhancing and conserving fish biodiversity in the Gorai River of Bangladesh., Abundance; CPUE; Catch composition; Margalef's richness index; Pielou's evenness index; Shannon-Weaver diversity index; Simpson's index.

Manta rays are marine planktivorous elasmobranchs that are distributed worldwide and highly susceptible to overexploitation. Although they are legally protected in Brazil since March 2013, incidental and intentional captures still occur. The sharp population decline following the intensification of targeted fisheries and bycatch highlights the urgent need of manta ray protection. This study provides information on several threats to manta rays (Mobula birostris and M. cf. birostris) in Brazil, including the frequency and geographic extent of the occurrences and their fishing and entanglement with fishing gear. We analysed photo/video records, and the scientific literature reporting mobulids incidence and focused on events of entanglement in fishing gear, intentional and incidental caught of manta rays, obtained from 2000 to 2020. From a total of 270 records of manta rays’ occurrences, 70 displayed wounds from anthropogenic activities, including 29 lethal records. Most of the injured individuals were recorded in the State of Sao Paulo (31.4%; n = 22), followed by Pernambuco (20.0%; n = 14), Rio de Janeiro (10.0%; n = 7), Bahia (8.6%; n = 6), Rio Grande do Norte (7.1%; n = 5), and Espirito Santo (5.7%; n = 4). Despite outnumbered, all manta rays’ occurrences in the states of Rio Grande do Norte, Ceara, Sergipe, Para, Piaui and Santa Catarina showed individuals either captured by fishers, with body scars or dragging fishing artefacts. The majority (61.4%) of injured individuals were recorded after the national protected status was implemented to the family Mobulidae, and all injuries observed were consequences of anthropogenic action. Our results highlight the diverse sources of threat and injuries patterns for manta rays in the nationwide territory and underscore the urgent need for monitoring fishing impacts and promoting effective enforcement of the national regulation for the protection of manta rays in Brazil.

Endemic species can be especially vulnerable to overexploitation because of their restricted range, and their trade can quickly become a significant threat. Yet, trade in endemic species is not well documented as many endemic species lack domestic and/or international trade regulations. Vietnam is the home to approximately 470 reptile species, 136 of which are considered endemic. The high number of valuable endemic species makes Vietnam an attractive target for reptile collectors. We analyzed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Trade Database and the Law Enforcement Management Information System database for import and export data of Vietnamese endemic reptile species. Moreover, we added data from an online survey and a physical market survey in Japan. Evidence was found of a minimum of 2054 individuals from seven endemic species in international commercial trade, tied to 10 countries. Only three of the seven endemic species found in trade are currently subjected to international trade regulations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and domestic trade regulations. This manuscript provides a baseline of the availability of endemic Vietnamese reptiles in international trade and that few endemic species are found on the international market and in trade records. However, those that were found are of concern because of the lack of population assessments and likely laundering of parent stocks. Keywords: CITES, Legislation, Policy, Wildlife trade

The Genevese aquifer is used for the supply of drinking water harnessed from ten wells on the Swiss side and four on the French side. During the 1960s and 1970s, overpumping lowered the groundwater level by more than 7 m, thereby depleting about one third of total groundwater storage over a period of 20 years. While technical and scientific studies were being undertaken to resolve the problem of over exploitation, including possible artificial recharge of the aquifer, negotiations were being conducted with various local and national authorities in France. The aim was to engage in a collaborative effort to fund the work and to establish a joint water management system.This paper will focus on a 40-year assessment of a cross border committee, the identification of the roles and responsibilities of each side and the financial modalities governing the use of the resource. The agreements signed in 1978 and in 2007 attest to the success of the joint management plan. Keywords: Transboundary aquifer, Aquifer management, Geneva, Shared water resource, MAR

The problem of life strategies in relation to the alteration of habitat quality remains one of the fundamental questions in ecology and evolution. Spatial analysis of community assemblage for organisms could be a useful insight to resolve this issue. An important tropical riverine ecosystem, the Ganges, has been considered for this study. The River Ganges supports a diverse fish fauna, with about 300 fish species reported for Indian waters. The emergence and maintenance of life strategy of fish are naturally regulated in response to the variation of abiotic factors in different ways. Here, we formulate a spatial model using Self Organizing map (SOM), with monthly surveys of local fisheries from nine principal landing sites along the lower stretch of the Ganges. We explored the conditions for selecting life history strategies based on prevailing abiotic factors of habitat. Parameters of water quality incur heterogeneity within a continuous habitat. It is already reported that the fishery in this area is at a stake due to over exploitation and the catch per unit effort (CPUE) is declining as an invariable outcome. Thus, an assessment of community assemblage of this area is of principal importance for managing aquatic resources in the lower Ganges. The primary goal is to test the hypothesis that fish faunal community structure and assemblage along with their life strategy can change along the gradient of water quality parameters down the stretch of lower Ganges. Data on average annual yield (total mean monthly catch) was considered for analysis. Statistical ordination revealed associations between assemblage composition and abiotic factors. Patterns of fish community composition are associated with species life-history strategies which, in turn, are influenced by their quality of habitat. Therefore, the anthology of abiotic factors, controlling the immediate habitat of organisms, has paramount role to serve as the indicators of habitat quality and life history strategies following eco-evolutionatry aspects.

Models of population dynamics are a central piece for harvest management, allowing managers to evaluate alternative strategies and to identify uncertainty. Here we present a density-dependent population dynamics model that can be used in conjunction with adaptive management to optimize big game management, designed to use data commonly collected by state and provincial wildlife agencies. We review a case study for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in North Dakota, USA, where we evaluate how harvest composition and monitoring frequency affect the maximum sustainable yield (MSY). Data were obtained from winter aerial surveys and hunter questionnaires over six years between 2009 and 2019. Harvest composition moderately skewed towards antlered individuals (37.5% antlerless deer and 62.5% antlered deer, i.e., antlerless:antlered harvest ratio = 0.6) resulted in a harvest rate of 0.2, which translates to a long-term harvest that is more than double that obtained if the harvest composition matched the population composition. However, given environmental uncertainty, we recommend that managers adopt a harvest strategy that is at least 10–15% lower than the maximum sustainable yield to buffer against environmental variability. Despite the fact that contrasting monitoring schemes resulted in similar optimal harvest rates, we illustrated how adopting an adaptive harvest strategy (i.e., where harvests change with population size) affords lower risks of overexploitation than a static strategy in which populations are assessed only occasionally. An adaptive harvest strategy features resilience allowing harvested populations to return to equilibrium even after substantial perturbation events.

7 pages, 1 figure, 6 tables, supplementary data https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113794, In 2019 a multiannual plan for Mediterranean demersal fisheries came into force with the objective to reduce the overexploitation of fisheries in the region by implementing effort control regimes. These measures, however, have the potential to adversely impact the local employment and profitability of the fisheries. In this paper, we examine scenarios on the short term and long term levels of economic yield of the sector using the two main drivers of fuel price and employment. Three main scenarios are defined as i) maintaining the average status quo, ii) effort control regimes implemented in the 2019 multiannual plan, and iii) flexible effort control regimes. For each of the aforementioned scenarios, three main fleets and five main conditions are considered, and the results will be compared and contrasted. The results in this paper show that the future rise in fuel price, which is anticipated due to global efforts to reduce emissions, along with the current effort reduction strategies could significantly threaten the sustainable profitability of the sector, and policy measures that could balance this issue should be implemented. Policy interventions and investments should be directed at technological advancements such as modernisation and increasing efficiency of fleet to reduce fuel use, utilisation of highly efficient gear technologies, shortened trips to fishing grounds, and increase in value creation in other parts of the fisheries supply chain to mitigate the serious challenges in terms of local employment and profitability facing the Mediterranean fisheries, The EU provided funding for this research through project “Paradigm for Novel Dynamic Oceanic Resource Assessments” (Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the grant agreement No. 773713, With the institutional support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S)

This introductory chapter to our Environment International VSI does not need an abstract and therefore we just include our recommendations below in order to proceed with the resubmission. Future work should examine waterbirds as food web sentinels of multiple stressors as well as Baltic Sea food web dynamics of hazardous substances and how climate change may modify it. Also, future work should aim at further extending the new frameworks developed within BALTHEALTH for energy and contaminant transfer at the population level (Desforges et al., 2018, Cervin et al., 2020/this issue Silva et al., 2020/this issue) and their long term effects on Baltic Sea top predators, such as harbour porpoises, grey seals ringed seals, and white-tailed eagles. Likewise, the risk evaluation conducted for PCB in connection with mercury on Arctic wildlife (Dietz et al., 2019, not a BONUS BALTHEALTH product) could be planned for Baltic Sea molluscs, fish, bird and marine mammals in the future. Finally, future efforts could include stressors not covered by the BONUS BALTHEALTH project, such as food web fluxes, overexploitation, bycatches, eutrophication and underwater noise.

At present, the concept of health consciousness in urban and rural people is becoming increasingly popularized. Keeping in mind the health effects of modern medicine, people have been using herbal medicines either alone or in combination with other products to achieve this state of health. There are substantial monetary profits associated with the expansion and use of plants with medicinal importance and their associated products in aboriginal medications in disease treatment, which indicates that the ways are widening for the herbal renaissance. This is evident from reports published by the World Health Organization (WHO) that 70%–80% of the global population fulfills its primary healthcare needs by using different herbs for medicinal purposes. From prehistoric times to present day, about 53,000 species of herbs are exploited in human disease treatment. The controlled accessibility of various agents needs to be considered if plant-based medicinal products are to be developed as chemotherapeutic medicines. Due to this overexploitation, many species are threatened with extinction. For the judicious use of herbal medicines and their products, great care should be kept in mind while using these herbal medicines, and their overexploitation must be controlled. This can only be achieved when we strive hard to implement three major goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992): conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of biodiversity components, and fair and equitable benefit sharing from genetic resources. Although plants with medicinal and aromatic importance have not been clearly on the program of biodiversity convention conferences, the goals of the Convention on Biological Diversity are wholly related to these resources of plants with medicinal value.

Galapagos is at once inspiring and disheartening, given its complex history of discovery, exploration, overexploitation, colonization, extinctions, conservation challenges, and successes. Galapagos giant tortoises are central to each of these phases and developments. While suffering overexploitation and species loss, Galapagos tortoises are also the focus of dedicated, innovative efforts to restore these imperiled species and the ecosystems they inhabit. All told, Galapagos, and its tortoises, provide a microcosm of life on Earth, and the roles that humans play.

Arctic region is at the forefront of climate crisis; this is where the planet is warming maximally and the effects of climate change are most obvious. In this review, we introduce the topic in broader perspective by discussing first on why Arctic biodiversity matters, and scientific evidences for a changing Arctic biodiversity due to climate change. The Arctic then dwells into the current status of Arctic biodiversity covering species diversity and its conservation status with an emphasis on species important for bioprospecting. Subsequently, threats to Arctic biodiversity will be reviewed including climate change, shipping, oil exploration, overfishing, and overharvesting. This essay would then further deliberate why Arctic matters to India in particular. Himadri—Indian research station at Svalbard, Norway—will be briefed followed by an overview of Svalbard Global Seed Vault and why signing a pact with this international facility would benefit the country. The essay concludes with final thoughts and way forward including strategies to minimize Arctic biodiversity loss, UN SDGs (Ssustainable Ddevelopment Ggoals), and climate action.

Drought—recurring natural disaster phenomenon in Barind Tract, Bangladesh—were livelihood faces hardship for water demand. Seasonal rainfall and frequent drought with increasing frequencies since 2005 have thrown challenges for water resource management plan. The Tract with poor–very poor groundwater potentiality has irregular landscape, and most of the rainwater is lost as runoff into nearby canals (Khari), rivers, etc. So, highly groundwater-dependent irrigation system is increasing steadily with time resulting overexploitation and threatening toward resource unsustainability that will be aggravated in coming days. So for sustainable water resource management with high rainwater harvesting potentiality during rainy season, the managed aquifer recharge model—piloted and widely enacted as the integrated water resource management strategy—has operated since 2014 injecting rain/runoff through recharge pipes/shaft and dug well to augment groundwater during rainy season that can fulfill nearly 70% of groundwater demand maintaining its quality. Beneficiaries are satisfied with governance issues and sustainability of the models.

India’s water security is laced with its aquifers. Already there is a significant dependence on groundwater for various societal uses, and in future the dependence is going to increase only in view of expanding irrigation facilities, rapid urbanization, and impending climate change scenario. Though as a country, India extracts 62% of total annual recharge; large areas are already under overexploitation of groundwater resource and expanding regions exhibiting geogenic contamination, such as excessive fluoride, arsenic, and salinity. For sustainable management of groundwater resource, the aquifers must be mapped and their hydraulics, resources, and quality should be understood in a three-dimensional aquifer-specific environment. The Govt. of India has launched the ambitious National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM) to achieve these objectives. The outputs would form the base of formulating, fine–tuning, and implementing various demand and supply-side intervention schemes, those are being taken up by the union and the state governments. The community should also be empowered with the information generated through NAQUIM so as to facilitate a participatory management of these precious natural resources.

Driven by a rising population and an increased health benefit awareness, the demand for sustainable n-3 LC-PUFA sources of high quality is rising. Traditional sources fish and fish oil have by far been the most important in supplying these healthy fatty acids that cannot be synthetized by human. However, they cannot solely cover global human n-3 LC-PUFA needs and are already threatened by an overexploitation. Moreover, farmed fish (of which the production is increasing) also depends on the existing wild fish stock to be a high-quality n-3 LC-PUFA source. Therefore novel n-3 LC-PUFA sources are emerging. Alternative marine resources, microalgae, and transgenic plants have shown their potential as n-3 LC-PUFA source, but they are challenged by different limitations. These will need to be tackled to ensure a sustainable n-3 LC-PUFA supply. The current chapter discusses both traditional and novel sources in terms of importance, production, sustainability and quality.

Over millennia, throughout human evolutionary history and industrialization eras, man has relied on forests and forest resources for existence. The reliance has been accelerated in recent decades due to the rising population and exploitation of natural resources to meet the diverse needs and wants of the populace. Overexploitation of forest resources has changed the general forest structure as well as the functioning, and some forests could not keep with the exploitation pace thus plunging into degraded conditions. Accordingly, restoration efforts have been devised to help manipulate nature and spring back the degraded forest systems into healthy ecological processes with successes and failures stories abound. In this chapter, we adopt an essay discussion where we review literature from scientific papers and policy documents on the concepts and processes of forest degradation and restoration within selected tropical countries across the globe to tell the story. We then follow by presenting the need for relooking at existing forest restoration processes and then give historical processes in both forest degradation and restoration. Lastly, we present contemporary advances in forest degradation and restoration which set the stage for the subsequent chapters in this section of the book. This chapter generally reveals the dire need for learning from historical processes of land restoration efforts and calls for the invention of state-of-the-art approaches which are context specific in trying to restore degraded forest specifically within the tropics.

The flora and fauna of oceanic islands are extremely vulnerable to invasive introduced species. Galapagos giant tortoise species, many critically endangered due to overexploitation by whalers and others, have been negatively impacted by several invasive species over the last two centuries. This chapter reviews the introduced species that impact giant tortoises: their arrival, establishment, and impacts on tortoises and their habitats, and targeted control, eradication, and conservation efforts of the last 60 years. The species reviews are followed by summaries of three major eradication projects aimed at the restoration of island ecosystems and the giant tortoises that inhabit them.

Maintaining/increasing water supply often requires temporal overexploitation and development of new water sources. This chapter describes how various types of managed aquifer recharge within a national integrated water supply system is/was used to achieve different water supply objectives in Israel. We discuss conceptual and technical aspects of recharging carbonate and sandy aquifers through wells with a surface-water source. Advantages and limitations of well injections, water quality, and well design issues, are described. We explore the rational and experience in the use of sandy soils overlaying an aquifer for (1) soil aquifer treatment (SAT) and storage of secondary effluents for irrigation. Especially, the capability of the SAT to bring the effluents to high-quality water is demonstrated; (2) infiltration of ephemeral streams’ floodwater and surplus desalinated seawater for storage and recovery of drinking water.

Baobab is a deciduous non-timber tree species that are facing severe threats from both anthropogenic and climatic pressures across its range states. This study assessed natural rates of recruitment and associated threats of baobabs within and across different land-use types in semi-arid areas of Tanzania. The study was based on a stratified random sampling design composed of the following land-use types: strictly protected areas, non-strictly protected areas, and unprotected areas. Rates of recruitment were measured from a total of 337 grids (representing 40% of semi-arid land) in three different land-use types in a plot measuring 1 km long and 50 m wide. Results show that juvenile, sub-adult and adult baobab populations varied significantly (p

Intensification and diversification of human-induced pressures in marine ecosystems have raised concerns over several sustainability-diminishing consequences, such as hypoxia and overexploitation of resources. We present the PlanWise4Blue tool (PW4B), which assesses the cumulative effects of multiple pressures on nature assets. In order to express the sensitivity of different nature assets to a plethora of pressure combinations, a meta-analysis based on published literature and available datasets was performed to calculate a set of standardized effect sizes. These calculations relied mostly on experimental or observational evidence; expert knowledge was used to estimate the impact coefficients only in the absence of impact data. Spatial modelling techniques (machine learning) were used to model the probability of occurrence and abundances of different nature assets in lattice grids with a cell size of 1 km2. Users can use the portal to estimate impacted areas and changes to natural assets caused by any combination of anthropogenic pressure. The PW4B tool can be used to predict individual and synergistic effects — both current and future — of a wide range of human activities and can be used regardless of scientific background. The tool was tested in the Baltic Sea region in coordination with the process of the Estonian Maritime Spatial Planning. This test evaluated the combined effects of human activity such as fisheries, aquaculture, wind energy, mining and maritime transport sectors on nature assets such as selected seaweed, invertebrate, fish habitats as well as bird and mammal species. The analyses showed that current Estonian maritime spatial planning will result in a moderate loss of some nature assets and a significant gain of benthic suspension feeders, although predicted losses in wind park areas can be mitigated if novel aquaculture activities such as mussel or macroalgal farming are established This test demonstrates how the PW4B tool can be used by planners to minimize adverse environmental effects, to suggest effective mitigation strategy, and to attain sustainable planning solutions.

The advent of anthropogenic global warming and widespread modification of the climate, landscape and environment has brought humans to the fore as a formidable force of nature. The terrestrial and aquatic environment of the East African region is sensitive to a variety of global, regional and local stresses. The geological materials along East Africa coasts, lakes and peats are excellent archives of environmental and climatic changes. The study of their sedimentary records has contributed to our understanding of global environmental and ecosystem changes induced by anthropogenic activities associated with the “Anthropocene”, the proposed new geological epoch in Earth history. Humans have occupied East Africa for thousands of years, but until about 300 years ago, their impact on the environment was localized and transitory. The impacts intensified during the 19th century due to rapid population growth and extension and intensification of agriculture that was largely driven by colonists; during this period, the overprinting of natural environmental changes by humans is clear, marked by significant changes in sedimentation, sediment properties, and lake water quality as a consequence of land and water degradation and overexploitation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem goods and services. Related impacts include changes in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and associated biodiversity losses. There have been temporal and spatial lags in the changes, depending on locality, but there is a widespread convergence of these effects from the mid-1900s, support the Anthropocene Working Group's proposed date of 1950 as the start of the Anthropocene.

Increased fishing pressure from artisanal and recreational fishing has led to the collapse of some important fish stocks around the world over the past years. There is currently limited understanding of the impacts of recreational and artisanal fishing on tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus populations in Lake Kariba and the socioeconomic factors behind them. Hence, this study investigated socioeconomic factors that act as drivers of the recreational and artisanal fishery industry and what sort of impact this would likely have on tigerfish H. vittatus populations using qualitative approaches. Eight three percent of the artisanal fishers interviewed recorded high catches during the summer season (October–February), which also coincides with the breeding season for tigerfish when it migrates up the rivers. Recreational anglers mainly caught females during the tigerfish tournament which is likely to have a significant effect on the tigerfish population in the long term through changes in tigerfish recruitment and other life history traits. Tigerfish size at sexual maturity and catch per unit effort which are all indicators of overexploitation were found to have decreased over the past years. Results further demonstrated increased fishing activities from artisanal and recreational fishing. It can be implied that the population of tigerfish may inadvertently be affected, but direct evidence that both recreational and artisanal fishing were having impacts on tigerfish populations was limited. It is therefore recommended that effective conservation measures such as preventing fish poaching during the tigerfish breeding season are put in place to protect the population and that of other fishes (i.e. potential prey).

Este artículo contiene 8 páginas, 2 tablas, 3 figuras., Amphibians of high mountain lakes face many threats related to global change, including novel pathogens, development, climate change and overexploitation. However, the foremost threat is the presence of non-native fish. One of the objectives of the LIFE+ LIMNOPIRINEUS project (2014–2019) was the recovery of protected amphibian communities (including the endemic Calotriton asper) in eight naturally fishless Pyrenean high mountain lakes, by controlling or eradicating non-native trout or minnows. During the summer months of 2015 to 2019, we removed 95–100% of the fish present in these lakes, and monitored changes in their amphibian populations, as well as surveyed 56 nearby control lakes with or without fish. We found rapid natural recovery of amphibian communities as fish removal work progressed. The fish-removal lakes achieved typical richness figures for the area one year after fish removal began, and typical species abundances after three years (with the only exception of Rana temporaria). We documented a total of 16 colonisation events, all by amphibian species from the same valley. The two earliest colonisation events were observed in the year in which fish removal began, with eight events the following year. The lack of colonisation from nearby valleys in the study period highlights the crucial role of nearby residual populations not affected by human impacts. We show that whole amphibian communities from high mountain lakes recover rapidly after eliminating or reducing non-native fish, proving that this is a powerful tool to improve the conservation status of endangered amphibians., Economic support was provided by the European Commission LIFE + project LIMNOPIRINEUS (LIFE13 NAT/ES/001210), and by the Spanish Government projects FUNBIO (RTI2018-096217-B-I00) and BIOOCULT (2413/2017).

The genus Artemia (Crustacea; Anostraca) is a complex of sibling species and superspecies defined by the criterion of reproductive isolation. Two sexual species are represented in the New World: Artemia persimilis and Artemia franciscana. In Brazil, Artemia franciscana populations are found on a year-round and permanent basis in Rio Grande do Norte as a result of inoculations made in Macau in April 1977 with cysts from a San Francisco Bay (California, USA) stock. Through the years, introduced Artemia dispersed to over 40,000 ha of saltworks and became an important asset in the development of a successful shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) culture industry in northeastern Brazil. On a yearly basis, a substantial part (approximately 20 %) of the 20 tonnes of cysts currently used by the Brazilian shrimp culture industry is harvested in local saltworks. However, there are growing concerns about the long-term sustainability of current harvesting practices. Not only Artemia is being collected in a reduced area (several hundred hectares of saltworks have been converted to shrimp grow-out ponds), but most importantly, there are indications that overharvesting of cysts has caused a directional reproductive shift to ovoviviparity (direct production of free-living nauplii) in local brine shrimp populations. The sustainable harvesting of Artemia franciscana cysts in Brazilian salterns is critical for ecological, social and economic reasons. Careful management of this essential resource requires a science-based approach with eyes open for the possible effects of exploitation-induced selection before it seriously impacts the viability of this emerging form of extractive aquaculture.

Overexploitation of forest resources continues to pose a severe threat to the environment in Chaprote Valley, Northern Pakistan. Therefore, this study investigates the main determinants of household dependency on forest resources for livelihoods in Chaprote Valley. We collected data randomly from 193 household heads through semi-structured questionnaires. To investigate the dependence of rural households on forest resources, we employed a Logistic regression model. The findings reveal that household’s education level, household size, livestock income and agriculture income significantly affect the dependency of households on forest resources, while other variables seem to be insignificant. The share of forest income to the total household income was 32%, while off-farm income, agriculture income and livestock income were 44%, 13% and 9% respectively. Among all forest products, firewood contributes more to forest income with a share of 47%. Moreover, the study found that an increase in household head’s education, livestock income, agriculture income, off-farm income and own landholding will result in reducing forest dependency. The study concludes that alternate sources of energy, modern agricultural methods, access to higher education, and public awareness about biodiversity are essential for creating a balance between forest dependency and biodiversity conservation.

Mangroves supply various goods and provide invaluable ecological services to humanity. They serve as habitat to different species of fishes, provide a variety of plant products, improve water quality, provide fish and shellfish for local communities, ensure coastal stabilization, provide food chain support for near-shore fisheries, and undertake carbon sequestration. They also serve as source of fuel, medicinal ornaments, and honey for the local population. Despite these socio-economic and environmental benefits of mangroves, its depletion is a continuous practice in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. This is caused primarily by anthropogenic activities, including over exploitation, oil spills, and crude oil exploratory activities. These activities have destroyed livelihood structures, affected global warming control measures, and affected the coastal system stabilization of the Niger Delta region. This paper reviews existing literature and analysed identified gaps. The review indicated a lack of participatory framework for mangrove conservation in coastal communities in the Niger Delta despite the desperate need given the level of mangrove degradation in the region. In addition, mangrove conservation policies exclude community participation and negates co-management frameworks for mangrove conservation and protection in the region. This paper reviews the impacts of land contamination on mangrove ecosystems and socio-economic activities of local communities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. A framework for mangrove conservation in the coastal communities is also proposed, with emphasis on the need to develop the capacity of a critical mass of locals and provide low-to medium-level manpower in mangrove restoration in the Niger Delta region.

Pterocarpus erinaceus is a native tree species of the Guineo-Sudanian and Sudano-Sahelian zones where natural stands are under constant pressure and heavily exploited for timber, animal feeding and others uses. A part from the overexploitation, climate change could also become a serious threat to the species natural distribution. For that purposes, this study aims to assess the vulnerability of P. erinaceus potential niche to climate change within its natural distribution area in West Africa. Niche predictions are based on 6,981 natural occurrence of the species and 19 global bioclimatic variables available through WorldClim. The future niche of the species is predicted according to three concentration pathways (RCPs 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5) of BC model for 2050 and 2070, thanks to Maxent software. P. erinaceus is currently reported from Senegal to Cameroon. Its potential niche covers the Sudano-Sahelian zone and the Dahomey gap on approximately 17.42% of the total area of these countries. In general, the niche of the species is not sensitive to climate change, regardless of the climate scenario and the year. Compared to its initial niche, the niche of the species will increase from 22.33% to 43.61% in 2050 and from 27.12% to 53.61% in 2070. However, this ecological expansion observed mainly in the Gulf of Guinea, will be associated with a considerable decrease in the Sahel and central Nigeria. This study shows the importance of promoting the development of innovative silvicultural strategies for the extension and restoration of natural stands of P. erinaceus in order to meet sustainably the timber needs of the West African region. It helps also to strengthening the roles of natural forests in providing ecosystem services and mitigating climate change effects., Pterocarpus erinaceus, vulnerability, species distribution modeling, quality wood supply, forest restoration, West Africa, Applied Computing; Climatology; Ecology; Environmental Management; Ecology, Environmental Science.

The Mediterranean basin has been characterized by intense human presence and landscape transformation for centuries. Recent land-use changes point to a general expansion of shrub and forest cover in low-productive mountain areas, especially in the countries on the northern side of the Mediterranean, as a consequence of farmland and grazing abandonment. However, strong urbanization and agriculture intensification are occurring in valleys and coastal areas, particularly on the southern and eastern rims of the basin that are affected by rapid population growth. Extensive revegetation on formerly cultivated land can reduce notably runoff generation and deep water percolation, with important consequences for freshwater supplies. The expansion of irrigated land and urban areas, often accompanied by tourism development, greatly increases water consumption, which may also lead to decline in river discharges and aquifer overexploitation. Projected future decline in the availability of freshwater resources and increased water demand, exacerbated by the present context of changes in climate conditions, make it urgent to establish sustainable land and water management strategies. These require deep understanding of the impact of land-use changes on water resources. Any significant advance in understanding the water cycle requires field observations and measurements accompanied by hydrological modeling approaches that simulate hydrological changes under different land-use and climate scenarios.

Embargado hasta 01/02/2023 Global groundwater overexploitation positions groundwater governance as a critical issue for improving sustainable water management. Evidence of aquifer recovery after overexploitation is scattered, as is the research on the drivers behind recovery. The Fuencaliente Aquifer in Spain faced a tragedy of the commons situation, but after an innovative governance arrangement was implemented, the aquifer is gradually recovering. In this research, we identify the drivers that made possible the emergence and acceptance of such an arrangement using the socialecological system framework. We identified external drivers such as market incentives and limited enforcement capacity of the water authority as the main factors that led to groundwater depletion, but we also found that these same drivers, under a new regulatory framework that reinforced monitoring and sanctioning capacities, are the basis for the effective recovery of the aquifer. Internal drivers such as the socioeconomic attributes of the users, their limited collective action and the power differences between traditional and commercial farmers are also critical in explaining the acceptance of the new governance arrangement. Even if these drivers are context-specific, we identified innovations that might be transferable and contribute to the literature on good practices in groundwater governance and management.

The Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is a small to medium sized mammal, reaching a total length of about 90 cm, and a weight of 3–5 kg, but individuals may weigh more than 8 kg. The species is distributed in East Asia and parts of northern Southeast and South Asia, inhabiting primary and secondary tropical forest, limestone, bamboo, mixed coniferous and broadleaf forest, hill forest, grasslands and agricultural fields. Nocturnal and solitary, the species predates primarily on ants but also termites, and digs burrows in order to find prey and for shelter. There is little quantitative data on populations, but there have been severe declines in China and parts of mainland Southeast Asia, and declines are suspected across the species’ range. The Chinese pangolin is threatened by overexploitation, and is hunted and poached for local consumption and international use, and is trafficked to countries including China. Habitat loss is also a threat.

Pangolins are among the most poorly known mammalian orders, in part because they have historically received little research and conservation attention. This chapter provides an overview of key research needs for pangolins and their conservation. Since pangolins are principally threatened by overexploitation, there is a critical need to quantify the impact of exploitation, both for local use and international trafficking, on pangolin populations. This is reliant on the development of methods to accurately and reliably monitor populations, which, in turn, necessitates the need for research into pangolin life history, ecology, and biology, for which there is little knowledge for some species. Evaluation of the impact of policy decisions on trade dynamics is also needed. Other research needs in the areas of genetics, forensics, trade and policy, husbandry, veterinary care, and climate change are also discussed.

Bioresources are the naturally occurring materials which are sustainably renewable and biodegradable. A variety of bioresources are present on the planet earth, which mainly includes agricultural crops, waste from agriculture, forest and various industries, marine resources like fishes and aquatic crustaceans, weeds, grasses, etc. All these bioresources are of huge significance and can be used as raw material or feedstocks for the production of a wide range of valuable products that are economically and industrially important. The bioresources are considered as one of the centers of bioeconomy. On the one hand, these are responsible for the generation of employment and sufficient income to individuals and industries that collectively contribute to the economy of the nation. However, on the other hand, overexploitation of bioresources can generate adverse impacts on the environment and can destroy the environment. Similarly, improper utilization of these bioresources can have adverse social and economic effects. The main aim of the present chapter is to discuss the type, composition, and properties of various bioresources and their applications in the production of a wide range of high-value products. Moreover, different environmental, social, and economic impacts due to the utilization of bioresources are also discussed.

Land subsidence phenomena caused by the overexploitation of the aquifers require the holistic knowledge of the geological, tectonic, hydrogeological and especially the geotechnical conditions of the affected sites in order to be mitigated. The current paper focuses on the study of the phenomena taking place at the Amyntaio sub-basin, northern Greece, hosting the homonymous open pit coal mine, operating there the last two decades. The mining as well as the rising agriculture activities have led to a significant drawdown of the ground water level triggering extensive ground subsidence phenomena, causing damages at the nearby villages, infrastructure and farmlands. The production and evaluation of engineering geological–geotechnical maps as well as of thematic tectonic and hydrogeological maps proved that the knowledge of this data is crucial for the interpretation of the land subsidence mechanism and the spatial distribution of its effects. Keywords: Land subsidence, Geotechnical map, Overexploitation of the aquifer, Amyntaio basin

The behaviours, ecologies and morphologies of pangolins make them challenging to survey and monitor, and non-targeted wildlife surveys have not produced robust status assessments, especially where population densities are low because of overexploitation. To inform the development of feasible survey and monitoring techniques for pangolins, we conducted a systematic review of all traceable efforts used to survey and monitor pangolins to date: 87 articles were included in the review. Pitfalls of current approaches are discussed and recommendations made on suitable methods. Recommendations include the use of mark-recapture for burrow-dwelling species, community interviews, sign-based surveys in arid and open habitats, detection dog teams, and targeted camera-trapping. Occupancy sampling using camera-traps could be used to monitor some pangolin populations, particularly ground-dwelling species, but the rarity of all species makes it uncertain whether this would provide enough data for monitoring; combinations of methods used within an occupancy sampling framework are likely to be the most effective. There will be many circumstances where direct monitoring of a population at a site, to a level that will generate precise data, is not financially viable nor the best use of conservation resources. In many sites, particularly in Asia, pangolins are too rare as a result of overexploitation, and/or occur in inaccessible areas where significant resources will be needed to implement a targeted monitoring programme. Under such circumstances, the use of proxy variables, including status of other hunting-sensitive species that are easier to record, in combination with enforcement or patrol data and/or community interviews, is likely to be the most cost-effective method for assessing the impact of conservation interventions on pangolin status. The publication of incidental observations and survey ‘by-catch’ would significantly improve understanding of pangolin status and ecology, and therefore how best to identify, conserve and monitor priority populations.

Length-based harvest regulations alter the fishing-induced demographic and evolutionary trajectories of exploited stocks and thus shape the existing tradeoffs among fishery and conservation objectives. We used a structurally realistic eco-genetic individual-based harvest model that implements dynamic angling mortality and cryptic mortality sources (illegal harvest and hooking mortality). We (1) analyzed the effects of alternative length-based harvest regulations under scenarios involving different combinations of exploitation intensity and hooking mortality on a suite of indicators of fishery performance and conservation status of a freshwater fish stock, and (2) determined the regulations that optimize the tradeoff among selected indicators under different management strategies, and fishery and conservation objectives. Fishing scenarios under a maximum-length limit regulation maximized harvest yield but led always to recruitment overfishing, irrespective of the exploitation and hooking mortality rates simulated. Fishing scenarios under a harvest slot limits regulation (HS) were best at maintaining a high status of old, large, fecund fish and a more natural age-structure with higher biomass and reproductive potential, performing increasingly better than minimum-length limit (MLL) regulations with decreasing hooking mortality. Both regulation types were effective at preventing overexploitation and only under scenarios with low restrictiveness and high exploitation intensity and hooking mortality was the stock at risk of recruitment overfishing. MLLs outperformed HS regulations in terms of fishery performance, consistently presenting greater harvest yield and efficiency, and size of harvested fish. High rates of hooking mortality rendered HS regulations less effective than assumed, so they were always outperformed by MLLs irrespective of the management strategy and objectives. When hooking mortality was low, HSs constituted the optimal regulation type in most cases except when high fishery performance was favoured over conservation objectives or harvest of large fish was regarded as critically important.

Unsustainable overexploitation of groundwater for agricultural irrigation has led to rapid groundwater depletion and severe environmental damage in the semi-arid Hebei Plain of China. Field experiments have recommended annual winter fallowing (i.e., forgoing winter wheat production) as the most effective way to replenish groundwater. However, adopting the recommendation across the Hebei Plain would lead to a significant reduction in total wheat production. This research aims to find the most favorable water-sustainable cropping systems for different localities in the Hebei Plain, which at the regional aggregation level maintains the uppermost overall levels of wheat and grain production respectively. Our simulations indicate that in the Hebei Plain, an optimal allocation of a wheat-early maize relay intercropping system and an early maize-winter fallow cropping system across the Hebei Plain could lead to significant water savings while minimizing grain production losses to around 11%. Compared to the prevailing wheat and summer maize cropping system, to prevent a drop in the water table, 39% of the current wheat cropping land would need to be fallowed in winter, reducing irrigation water use by 2639 × 106 m3. Replacing the prevailing wheat and summer maize cropping system with our optimized allocation system could lead to a 36% increase in total maize production and 39% decrease in total wheat production, resulting in total agricultural irrigation water savings of 2322 × 106 m3 and a total grain production reduction by 11%. The findings indicate the potential benefits of our cropping system adaptation method to meet the challenge of recovering local groundwater level with the least possible reduction of wheat and total grain production in the Hebei Plain.

The northwest (NW) Coast of Canada (British Columbia) stretches from Alaska to Vancouver Island with the continental shelf including the islands of Haida Gwaii, Queen Charlotte Sound, and Hecate Strait. It is mostly a rugged temperate-subarctic wilderness characterized by coastal mountain ranges, glacial fjords, and island archipelagos, with a rich First Nations cultural and marine harvesting history. Intense seasonal storms are a challenge for marine activities and biota, but marine birds, fish, and mammals are abundant. Deep sponge and coral complexes and ancient reefs have been minimally explored coastally and offshore, and numerous seamounts include one accessible by SCUBA. Economics of the sparse population are dominated by logging, diverse fin- and shell-fishing and ecotourism, which are susceptible to overexploitation, habitat destruction, and climate change. Urban contamination is low except for airborne persistent compounds from elsewhere and localized influence from a few pulp and paper mills and small sewage outfalls. Interest in oil and gas exploration has been intense historically, but moratoria on tanker traffic have suppressed development. Wind and wave energy are developing industries, but limited access remains a problem. Invasive species are still a minor issue, partly due to the lack of exotic aquaculture. Toxic algal blooms can intermittently affect shellfish harvesting. On-going efforts to protect old-growth forests and marine resources is this relatively pristine coast have resulted in extensive marine protected areas and parks, which in turn enhance ecotourism.

Java is the economic and political center of Indonesia, a country with > 17,500 islands. Southeast Asia is a hotspot of marine biodiversity, and Java hosts coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests, which have an unparalleled role in providing ecosystem services. The Indonesian seas play a decisive role for the coupled ocean and climate system. For the local population, coastal and marine resources are a crucial protein source and have a high economic importance. Java is one of the most densely populated regions in the world, so there is a very strong influence of human activities on the terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Overexploitation, pollution, and ecosystem conversion have already led to habitat degradation and shortage of many natural resources. Here we review the regional oceanic system of Java, its major coastal habitats, coastal and marine resource uses, and human impacts on its coastal and marine ecosystems.