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The aims of this paper were to study the genetic diversity within and among 6 Tuber taxa, the phylogenetic relationships and the spatial distribution of truffles from the Basilicata region (southern Italy). Molecular analyses, using the internal transcribed spacer region, microsatellites, minisatellites and random amplified polymorphic loci revealed the highest expected intra-specific heterozygosity (He=0.30) in T. aestivum, followed by that of T. mesentericum (He=0.22). T. borchii (He=0.17), T. magnatum (He=0.16), T. aestivum fo. uncinatum (He=0.12) and T. brumale fo. moschatum (He=0.09) showed a lower average heterozygosity. The whole set of markers were demonstrated to be useful in clearly differentiating Tuber taxa, separating them in two distinct groups and in five sub-clusters, each corresponding to one single taxon. The first cluster (T. borchii, T. magnatum and T. brumale fo. moschatum) was more differentiated than the second one (T. aestivum, T. aestivum fo. uncinatum and T. mesentericum). T. brumale fo. moschatum was the most differentiated Tuber taxon. It was more related to the white truffles (the closely related T. borchii and T. magnatum) than to the remaining related black truffles T. aestivum and T. mesentericum. The amount of Tuber species richness was higher over the western side of Basilicata, in cold Lauretum and in Castanetum phytoclimatic Pavari's zones. A spatial genetic structure was detected for T. aestivum, as shown by the significant correlation between geographic and genetic distances (rs=0.32; P<0.0001). Integration of molecular and geographic diversity patterns can allow the selection of sites for Tuber and Tuber-related biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the distribution pattern of centipedes (Chilopoda) in four primeval forests of the western Carpathians, central Slovakia. The forests are located in two different mountain ranges (Kremnické vrchy and Pol'ana Mountains), which are exposed on either the southern (Boky, Rohy) or northern slopes (Pol'ana, Badín). In these forests, the influence of coarse woody debris (CWD) on centipede distribution was studied, by distinguishing sampling sites on the forest floor, close to CWD (c-CWD) and distant from CWD (d-CWD). In total, we collected 2,706 individuals from 20 species of centipedes. Average species richness and number of individuals per forest ranged from 8 to 12 species/m2 and from 244 to 486 individuals/m2. The oak forests on south facing slopes harboured several species, which did not occur in the more northern exposed fir-beech forests. Number of species as well as individuals, however, varied more within than between individual forests. Increase of species number and density was mainly caused by CWD and was more pronounced on the southern slopes (P<0.001), characterized by high temperatures and low precipitation, than on the northern slopes (n.s. to P<0.01), characterized by low temperatures and high precipitation. It was found that CWD did not generally increase (species) diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early effects of femel-cutting (removing 20% of the trees) and small scale clear-cutting on ground-living spiders in a Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) forest in Southern Germany were investigated. The study was carried out as BACIP (before and after, control-impact, many paired samplings) study: Spiders were sampled during the pre-treatment year, the year of cutting, and the year after cutting. In total 7101 individuals were sampled, of which 4530 individuals were identified, 4468 were adult and 2633 individuals were juvenile. We identified 107 species, but a single species, Coelotes terrestris, dominated the control (spruce stand) comprising up to 49% of the total identified individuals. Clear-cutting changed the species composition in the traps, while the first step in femel-cutting preserved it. The number of individuals of the families Linyphiidae, Amaurobiidae, Agelenidae and Clubionidae decreased drastically within the 2 years after the clear-cutting, while the Lycosidae became numerically dominant in the clear-cut stands. The number of individuals with the following characterisation decreased significantly after clear-cutting: Small (<3.0 mm) and large spiders (>10.5 mm), web builders, ‘forest habitat species', species favouring hygrophilic to medium moisture conditions, and preferences to live below ground or in and on the moss layer. On the other hand, middle-sized spiders, free hunters, ‘open habitat species', spiders favouring dry conditions or that are euryoecious, preferring patterns covered by grasses or uncovered patches, increased in number. Clear-cut habitats with dense spruce regeneration showed a delayed and less pronounced response. With femel-cutting, species composition of ground-living spider communities may be preserved during the first step of regeneration of mature forest stands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecotourism is becoming very popular, especially in protected areas where wildlife concentrate and is easier to observe, but the consequences of associated disturbance have seldom be quantified other than in the short-term, making the sustainability of this activity untested. We combined a historical, an empirical and an experimental approach to assess the long-, medium- and short-term consequences of disturbance to wintering wildfowl (Anatidae) in a wetland of international importance in the Camargue, Southern France. In the short-term, disturbance made teal (Anas crecca) move away temporarily from observation blinds without leaving the waterbody. Wildfowl fed more after disturbance, disrupting their normal resting activities. In the medium-term, waterbodies with more tourists did not host fewer birds: conversely the most heavily disturbed one hosted the highest wildfowl density. In the long term, wildfowl numbers were not related with the number of visitors. When practiced with appropriate guiding of people, and where appropriate facilities are provided to limit human disturbance as done here, ecotourism may not affect wintering wildfowl other than reversibly in the very short term. The legitimate demand of the public for access, even in fragile protected areas, may therefore be sustainable under some conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of databases for the conservation of biodiversity is increasing. During the last decade, such a database has been created for European stream macroinvertebrates. Today, it includes 527 sites that are the least human-impacted representatives of many stream types across many European regions. It includes data on the abundance of 312 invertebrate genera, several environmental site characteristics, collection methods, bibliographic data sources, and 11 biological traits of the genera (e.g. size, life cycle, food and feeding habits, described in 61 categories). The database will be useful in addressing many topics that are potentially relevant to biodiversity conservation. To illustrate this potential, we provide examples of how the data could be exploited. First, we describe the frequency of some taxonomic and biological characteristics (e.g. richness and diversity of genera and traits) of the macroinvertebrate communities and assess how these characteristics are related (e.g. how trait richness increases with genus richness). Second, we describe the frequency of some characteristics of the genera and traits (e.g. occurrence frequency, abundance, dispersion index) and again assess how these characteristics are related (e.g. how occurrence increases with abundance). Finally, we suggest how the database could be developed into a collective, publicly accessible database that covers stream types and regions of Europe more comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relocations of species have become a tool widely used in nature conservation, but insects have rarely been considered as targets. Here, we present a translocation project of the field cricket (Gryllus campestris L. 1758), which is a threatened species at the northern edge of its range. Only ten populations were left in Lower Saxony (Germany), illustrating the need for urgent conservation measures. After 10 years of monitoring and management of an isolated population, 213 nymphs were captured and released at another nature reserve in summer 2001. The size of the new population increased significantly from 27 singing males in spring 2002 to 335 singing males in spring 2005. The occupied area increased from 5.66 ha to 33.14 ha. Altogether, the translocation project was evaluated as successful, but the inland dune proved to be not as suitable for the species as initially expected. Our results indicate that translocations of highly reproductive insect species are promising, as long as the release locality contains sufficiently large areas of suitable habitat and a high number of wild juveniles from a closely located and large source population are released in a climatically favorable period. Management and restoration of habitats, as well as continuous monitoring are of crucial importance for the success of the translocation project. Moreover, the importance of a high quality of cooperation between conservationists, authorities, foresters, farmers, financiers and scientists cannot be overstated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red list species densities of birds (maximally 22 km−2), and angiosperms (maximally 39 km−2) were used as biodiversity indicators in 21 larger complexes of wetlands across the Netherlands. Their covariability with a range of indicators of human land use was assessed, including population, road and visitor density, area covered by agriculture, open water, forest and residential housing. Data were collected on the wetland complexes as well as for a perimeter with 10 km radius. In a principal components analysis (PCA) with all land use variables, it was found that the population-density-related complex of urbanisation, fragmentation (by roads), and intensity of fertilizer use together explained most of the variability present (i.e. the first PCA axis explained 50%), whilst land use within these complexes was second with an additional 19% and waterside recreation third with 12%. Red list bird species density did not correlate with that of angiosperms, nor with any of the indicators used. For the 13 complexes on organic peatland, we observed an increase in maximum red list angiosperm species density with the proportion of open marshland (P < 0.01, r2 > 0.55), which, in turn, was negatively and closely correlated with the first PCA axis reflecting an urbanisation gradient across the Netherlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a marked decline at the beginning of the 1900s, the arctic fox Alopex lagopus population in Fennoscandia has remained at a very low level. We suggest that the main cause for the population crash was winter starvation caused by (1) over-hunting of reindeer Rangifer tarandus populations, and thus reduced carcass availability in the mountains, and (2) increased interspecific competition for these carcasses because of increased invasion of red foxes Vulpes vulpes from lower altitudes. The failure of arctic fox populations to recover, despite increasing reindeer populations in the mid 1900s, can be explained by a concurrent strong increase in red fox numbers. Analyses of countywide hunting statistics from Norway 1891-1920 suggest that there actually was an increase in red fox numbers in the period of arctic fox decline, and that the increase in reindeer populations from the 1920s to the 1950s was accompanied by a new increase in red fox numbers. We conclude that restoring arctic fox populations most likely will require a substantial and lasting reduction of red fox populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyse the current situation of the Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) in the region of Galicia in NW Spain. At present, the entire Galician population (five pairs) is located within an area of about 2000 km2 in the province of Ourense. To identify high-priority areas for golden eagle conservation, we derived predictive models of habitat suitability using logistic regression and a Geographic Information System (GIS). Specifically, to model the distribution of the breeding population we considered topographic features, land use and degree of humanization, using a 10 × 10 km grid. Presence/absence of golden eagle nests was used as the dependent variable; analyses were performed both considering current nesting areas and considering old nesting areas (1960s and 70s). At the spatial scale considered, the best predictors of habitat suitability for breeding were topographical variables indicative of rugged relief. For current nesting areas the most parsimonious model included maximum altitude. We consider that the predictive models obtained may be of use for the monitoring and conservation management of the golden eagle population in this region. Conservation problems associated with habitat constraints such as food supply, availability of nesting sites, changes in land use and human disturbance are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in agricultural practice are predicted across the UK following agricultural reform driven by government policy. The suitability of agri-environment schemes for many species is currently debated because limited quantitative data are collected. In order to understand the changes to biodiversity due to agri-environment schemes, there is a need for studies to not just compare biodiversity and species composition in and out of agri-environment areas, but to factor in the influence of temporal habitat changes. In this study, we investigate the suitability of an agri-environment initiative to support and enhance a small mammal fauna among pastoral hill farms in mid-Wales. Grazed and ungrazed woodlands, riparian habitats, and broadleaf plantations, were compared for small mammal abundance and diversity following a trapping study. Mammal diversity was similar across habitats, though abundance varied significantly. A principle component analysis identified that mammal abundance clustered into three main habitat groups separated by seral stage (early, mid, late). No relationship between mammal abundance and stock grazing was found. A canonical correspondence analysis confirmed that vegetation structure was important in explaining the distribution of captures of mammal species across the landscape. The results for habitat type, and habitat context, suggest that a mix of vegetation seral stages, reflecting a varied vegetation structure, is important to maintain small mammal diversity and abundance across the study area. Heterogeneity in structural diversity at the landscape scale is important to maintain a variety of ground-dwelling mammal species, and particularly because trends in countryside surveys show that woodlands are skewed towards late seral stages. Habitat heterogeneity can be maintained because the hill farms neighbour each other, and the farmers co-operate as a group to manage the landscape. Habitat diversity is therefore possible. These results help us to advocate, and anticipate, the benefits of groups of farms within a landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta nesting in Italy had been reported to be limited to the Pelagian Islands and only sporadically elsewhere. As presence of loggerhead turtle nests had occasionally been reported (1988-1999) along about 200 km of the Ionian coast of Calabria, we carried out a project to assess the actual state of the nesting population between 2000 and 2004. We divided the coastline in two sectors (A: 52 km, and B: 146 km) that were monitored from mid-June to end of July for a total of n = 174 monitoring days and 1,813.6 km patrolled on foot with different intensities (extensive versus intensive). In sector B, through extensive monitoring we did not find any emergence tracks, but in sector A by intensive survey (2002-2004: one survey/3.64 days) we detected 3-8 nests/year. In total, 25 nests (both observed and reported), were recorded in our study area, and an assessment of a total of 15-16 nests/year was suggested. These figures, within the national scenario depicted from the review of known nesting events in the last 40 years (88 records concerning more than 143-144 nests), show that loggerhead turtle nesting has been underestimated in Italy, due to inadequate monitoring protocols, and that nesting is more frequent than expected (at least 30-40 nests/year). Conservation strategies in Italy should then focus not only on the reduction of mortality at sea, but also include large-scale actions to preserve scattered (but regular) nesting events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variations in habitat quality impact on breeding success, leading to strong selection pressure for the best sites to be occupied first during a population increase and last during a decline. Coupled with dispersal and metapopulation processes, the result is that snapshot surveys of wildlife distributions may fail to reveal core areas that conservation seeks to protect. At a local scale, territory occupancy is a good indicator of quality but data are not readily available to assess occupancy for rarer species, in remote areas, and over large spatial extents. We introduce temporal suitability analysis as a way to generate an analogue of occupancy from a single survey and illustrate it using data on the little bustard in Spain. We first used Generalised Additive Modelling (GAM) to build a predictive distribution model using Geographic Information System (GIS) coverages and satellite imagery, and then applied the model retrospectively to a time series of satellite images to produce one distribution map for each year. These annual maps differed in the extent of Spain predicted as suitable for little bustards. By overlaying the maps, we identified areas predicted as suitable in one to n years. We show that this temporal suitability map correlates with a conventional habitat suitability map based on a single year but contains extra information on hierarchical use of habitats and the lag between suitability and use. The technique may be applied at a variety of spatial scales to reveal changes in expected occupancy as land use or external factors determining land cover types vary over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is an endemic species of the Iberian Peninsula and is essential for the conservation of endangered predators. Rabbits are also of high importance as a hunting species. From 1988, rabbits suffered the severe effects of rabbit hemorrhagic disease, which caused large declines in most populations. Despite this fact, the National Red Data Lists continued to classify rabbits as a "Least Concern" species. We used available hunting bag data from 1973 to 2002 to model national trends of rabbit abundance and to evaluate the conservation status according to the criteria of the National Red Data List and the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Generalized Additive Models were used as the statistical framework. The rabbit population of Spain suffered a large decline of about 71% between 1973 and 1993. This decline was 49% in the period 1980-1990. Based on both Spanish and World Conservation Union criteria, rabbits should be listed as ‘Vulnerable', which demands a Conservation Plan Program. We suggest that the lack of concordance between the best available evidence and the conservation status of the species is a consequence of sociological constraints in conservation decisions. Rabbit conservation could face strong opposition from important socio-economic lobby groups (hunters and farmers). As such, governments and researchers may prefer to exclude rabbits from any status category requiring conservation action, despite the evidence of decline. We call for the urgent development of a nation-wide conservation program for rabbits which includes both socioeconomic constraints and the available biological data on population trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the patterns of habitat use of six radio-tagged booted eagles (Hieraaetus pennatus) in a Special Protection Area (SPA) in southeastern Spain. Variable percentages of radio locations (20.8-72.0 %) and home range areas (45.2-81.3 %) lay outside the SPA limits. A model selection procedure showed that habitat use was mainly influenced by habitat type and the distance to the nest. Edges and open lands were the most selected habitat types at long distances, while the probability of forest use strongly decreased with the distance. We conclude that effective conservation strategies for this species should encourage not only the protection of the forest nesting habitats, but also the traditional agricultural practices of the surrounding agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an attempt to outline a protocol for animal diversity census and evaluation aimed for areas in view of landscape planning of territories of hundred square kilometres and more, that may work utilising different faunal groups and be anyway useful at various scales. Many papers are addressed to elaborate tools for landscape planning starting from biodiversity evaluation and butterflies are often utilised because of their sensitivity to landscape modifications. In this work, the biodiversity evaluation has been performed using three hierarchically linked landscape units at micro-, meso- and macroscale. Being species diversity values often inadequate to define the conservation interest of a landscape portion, more importance has been given to which species compose the species assemblages. A community vulnerability Index was coded and used for evaluating potential consequences of human disturbance on butterfly assemblages. Forty-four year samples were gained by visual census in the Sila Greca, Southern Italy, on an area of approximately 520 square kilometres. During 5 years work, 2,535 specimens and 94 species were recorded, equal to 75.8% of the whole Calabrian fauna. Four vulnerability levels have been established and used for mapping butterfly assemblage vulnerability in the area, starting from a vegetation map. Species richness was found somewhat contradictory at micro-scale, where the community vulnerability Index gives a sounder approach. S diversity gives a more reliable picture of naturalness at meso-scale, a level we identified with the "ecotope". At this more "geomorphic" scale level, biological functions reflected by butterfly assemblages revealed to be clearly linked to seral processes. Similarity analysis results show that the ecotope species richness, here called "eta-diversity", could be an useful measure of zoological landscape (faunation) potentialities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat loss and fragmentation are known to reduce patch sizes and increase their isolation, consequently leading to modifications in species richness and community structure. Calcareous grasslands are among the richest ecosystems in Europe for insect species. About 10% (1,150 ha) of the total area of a calcareous ridge region (Calestienne, Belgium) and its butterfly community was analysed over a timeframe of about 100 years. Since 1905 to present day (2005), the Calestienne region has undergone both calcareous grassland loss and fragmentation: not only did calcareous grassland size decrease and isolation increase, but also, the number of calcareous grassland patches within the landscape increased until 1965, and subsequently decreased, clearly reflecting the effects of fragmentation. These processes have had a profound effect on the butterfly community: extinction and rarefaction affected significantly more often specialist species, which means that generalist species are more and more overrepresented. This ecological drift, i.e. the replacement of specialists by generalists in species assemblages is likely to be a general effect of habitat loss and fragmentation on natural communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural vegetation in Europe appears nowadays deeply modified by human activities. In the Guadarrama Mountains (Central Spain), ancient reforestations with Scots pines, Pinus sylvestris, replaced original deciduous pyrenean oak, Quercus pyrenaica, forests (since the Roman period). However, the effect of reforestations on fauna remains little known, especially in reptiles. We described patterns of microhabitat selection in several species of Lacertid lizards, and analyzed whether the modification of the original vegetation affected distribution and population densities of lizards. The species of lacertid lizards found in oak forests (Psammodromus algirus, Lacerta lepida and Podarcis hispanica) were different to those of in pine plantations (Podarcis muralis and Podarcis hispanica). Lizards did not use habitat at random and this could explain differences in species found in both forests, which differed in some microhabitat structure characteristics. Most lizards selected microhabitats with rocky outcrops, with low cover of trees, and close to refuges. These microhabitat preferences also explained abundance of lizards in transects. From the perspective of conservation and management of lizards, pine plantations seem not to contribute too much to the diversity of lizard species because species typical from oak forests were lost. This study has implications for pine reforestation management, because allowing the recolonization by understory oaks, and leaving some open areas, without trees but with dense shrubs and rocks inside reforestations would contributed to maintain lizard populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the analysis and evaluation of resilience anchored in an economic perspective. Resilience, as well as most of the benefits provided by ecosystems, is not priced on current markets. However, this does not mean that resilience is of no value for humans. On the contrary, the interest of using an economic perspective, and the respective scientific methodology, will be put forward in terms of resilience relevance for ecosystem functioning, and its impact on human welfare. The economic perspective is anchored in an anthropocentric analysis evaluating resilience in terms of provision of natural capital benefits. These in turn are interpreted as insurance against the risk of ecosystem malfunctioning and the consequent interruption of the provision of goods and services to humans. For this analysis, we make use of a conceptual framework that identifies and describes the different value components of resilience. Finally, we present an illustration that discusses the economic analysis of resilience benefits in the context of the Venice Lagoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The predictability of a standardized and widely used biomonitoring method for estimating total lichen diversity on trunks (LDV-index) was tested. The study was carried out in Veneto (NE Italy), on 34 randomly selected trees in five sites in different landscape contexts. Two sets of biodiversity data were obtained from each tree: (1) the LDV index based on species frequency within a standard sampling grid positioned on a limited part of the trunks only (2) the total number of species found on the trunks. Total species richness on trunks is significantly related with the LDV index, which suggests that the LDV standard methodology can be used also for estimates of lichen diversity. Even a LDV index based on macrolichens, or on large-lobed foliose lichens only, still permits reliable estimates of total diversity on the trunks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper an updated distribution of the Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica, Schinz 1838) in the central Spanish region of Castile-La Mancha is shown. The species is present in 19% of the study region, and in areas not cited so far in the literature. A detailed analysis of habitat suitability was also carried out, applying a new methodology, Ecological-Niche Factor Analysis, which uses presence data to build a habitat suitability map of a given species. As livestock activity is quite intense in the region, the presence of a potential competitor, the domestic goat (Capra hircus), was included in the analyses. Factors affecting ibex relative abundance were determined by means of a nested stepwise multiple regression, where livestock presence/absence was the nested factor. The presence of livestock has a negative effect on ibex relative abundance, causing the ibex to select areas of poor, sparse vegetation, cultivated lands and forests, whereas in the absence of livestock, the ibex is mainly present in pasture-scrub lands and non-cultivated lands. Conservation implications of these results are discussed in the context of a Mediterranean region where extensive livestock grazing systems abound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the impact of a wind farm (line of 25 small to medium sized turbines) on birds at the eastern port breakwater in Zeebrugge, Belgium, with special attention to the nearby breeding colony of Common Tern Sterna hirundo, Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis and Little Tern Sterna albifrons. With the data of found collision fatalities under the wind turbines, and the correction factors for available search area, search efficiency and scavenging, we calculated that during the breeding seasons in 2004 and 2005, about 168 resp. 161 terns collided with the wind turbines located on the eastern port breakwater close to the breeding colony, mainly Common Terns and Sandwich Terns. The mean number of terns killed in 2004 and 2005 was 6.7 per turbine per year for the whole wind farm, and 11.2 resp. 10.8 per turbine per year for the line of 14 turbines on the sea-directed breakwater close to the breeding colony. The mean number of collision fatalities when including other species (mainly gulls) in 2004 and 2005 was 20.9 resp. 19.1 per turbine per year for the whole wind farm and 34.3 resp. 27.6 per turbine per year for 14 turbines on the sea-directed breakwater. The collision probability for Common Terns crossing the line of wind turbines amounted 0.110-0.118% for flights at rotor height and 0.007-0.030% for all flights. For Sandwich Tern this probability was 0.046-0.088% for flights at rotor height and 0.005-0.006% for all flights. The breeding terns were almost not disturbed by the wind turbines, but the relative large number of tern fatalities was determined as a significant negative impact on the breeding colony at the eastern port breakwater (additional mortality of 3.0-4.4% for Common Tern, 1.8-6.7% for Little Tern and 0.6-0.7% for Sandwich Tern). We recommend that there should be precautionary avoidance of constructing wind turbines close to any important breeding colony of terns or gulls, nor should artificial breeding sites be constructed near wind turbines, especially not within the frequent foraging flight paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of wetland loss on migratory waterbirds can be mitigated by the presence of anthropogenic habitats such as rice fields. In the Mediterranean basin, wetlands have been drained and altered to such a degree that their very existence is threatened. It is, therefore, essential to identify key buffer areas in the basin to develop conservation strategies for migratory waterbirds. In Extremadura, continental SW Spain, 30,000 ha of new rice fields have created since the 1960s. The present study describes for the first time the waterbird community associated with these inland rice fields, and addresses the question of the potential value of this area in buffering the loss of natural wetlands for populations of waterbirds using the East Atlantic Flyway (EAF). The waterbird community studied consisted of 45 species, with population levels reaching values of international importance (>1% of the biogeographical population using EAF) for the Common Crane Grus grus (19%), Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa (1.2%), Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus (1.2%), and Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis (1%). The presence of these rice fields may be modifying the wintering and/or feeding sites of some waterbird species such as the Common Crane and Black-tailed Godwit. Unfortunately, there is no legal protection for this area. We propose the designation of these rice fields as a Special Protection Area for birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the social and cultural processes through which conservation policy is derived. Focusing on the management of pinewoods in Abernethy Forest, Scotland, it explores the cultural politics involved in developing appropriate management practice. Calling upon participant observation, semi-structured interviews with site managers and the analysis of texts, it traces the gradual moves from a policy of minimum intervention towards more complex management regimes. The paper explores the social construction of the forest's naturalness that underpinned the early policy of minimum intervention and then the ways that the forest was reconstructed as the managers debated the merits of minimum intervention and the degree to which they should intervene. The paper illustrates how managers have considered different forms of intervention and how they have tried to balance their concern with the naturalness of the forest with a need to intervene on behalf of particularly important species. It highlights the importance of conservationists' culturally derived understandings of nature and suggests that an awareness of these cultures of nature is vital if conservationists are to develop robust policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding bird communities in burnt and unburnt residual pinewoods were studied over 3 years by line-transect method, following a catastrophic fire event in Castelfusano (Rome, Central Italy; July 2000). We applied bootstrap procedures to evaluate whether the observed data were true or just produced by chance, and then examined the emerging patterns at three levels: community, guild and species levels. At the community level, fire acted on breeding bird communities by altering especially the total abundance patterns: the species abundance decreased in the burnt pinewood compared to the residual one, but other parameters were not significantly affected by fire. As a consequence of fire, the destruction and structural simplification of the canopy and shrubby component, as well as the increase of edge habitat and patchiness at landscape scale, induced a turnover in species between pinewoods. Species turnover was higher at the burnt than at the residual pinewoods, during all the 3 years of study. At the guild level, the forest species decreased strongly in terms of richness and abundance in the burnt pinewoods, contrary to the edge and open habitat species which increased in terms of richness, abundance and evenness. Edge species showed the highest turnover in burnt pinewood during the whole period of study. At species level, after an a priori subdivision (based on bibliographic search) of the various species in two ecological guilds (forest versus edge species), it was found that an a posteriori statistical analysis confirmed the expected trend, i.e. that the species which decreased significantly in burnt pinewood were essentially the forest species, whereas the species which increased were essentially the edge/open habitat ones. Overall, in order to investigate the effects of fire catastrophes on birds, the guild approach seems more exhaustive than the taxonomic community approach, where intrinsic confounding trends are present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent data on oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) indicates that Mediterranean soil communities tend to show uneven patterns of species abundance distribution (SAD) that are well fitted by a simple model such as the geometric series. In the case of linear distributions, the fraction of total sampled individuals that is contributed by the most abundant species, known as the Berger-Parker index, synthetically describes the SAD of disturbed communities. This study assessed the bioindicator potential of the Berger-Parker index by comparing its variations among Mediterranean oribatid assemblages under different types of soil disturbance. The index significantly changes between undisturbed and disturbed soils reaching the highest values in areas with strong physical disturbance due to agricultural management. The Berger-Parker index is therefore a practical and effective tool for monitoring biodiversity impairment linked to human disturbance in soil ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have examined the distribution of 26 species of steppe birds in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands within a grid of 5,070 10 × 10 km grid cells. The most valuable areas for steppe birds have been identified by selecting the upper 5% of the 10 × 10 km grid cells after a simple ranking based on the following criteria: species-richness, richness of rare species, rarity index, species vulnerability at Spanish, European and Global levels, and using an index combining the previous criteria. We have also used a heuristic algorithm to select those areas which offered most complementarity. The results have been analysed on a national scale and have been compared with those obtained by species assessments in previous status summaries. Finally, we have performed an analysis of the coverage afforded to locations which are valuable for steppe species by Natural Protected Areas (NPAs) and Special Protected Areas (SPAs), and an evaluation of the potential effects of temporal changes in species' threat-status. The combined index was the most reliable criterion for defining hotspots, encompassing 15% of the species' distributions within 5% of the total area considered. This index showed a high level of geographical concordance with the other criteria (nearly 70% of the selected grid cells coincided). Analysis of complementarity delivered poorer results than simple rank-scoring. The analysis of the efficiency of NPA network showed a very low coverage (less than 2%) of the hotspots selected according to the Combined Index. Coverage of the SPA network was higher (nearly 45%), although it diminished (to <35%) when only steppe-defined SPAs were included. The geographical concordance between high-value areas selected using current status summaries and those chosen using earlier ones was low for European threat status (53.4%), intermediate (63.2%) for Spanish threat status and high for SPEC status (78.1%). The Combined Index showed a high level of geographical concordance between the old and new data (76.6%). We conclude that automatic scoring methods (identifying hotspots) are useful for selecting valuable areas and for analysing the efficiency of the network of protected natural spaces, as well as for examining the potential effects of status changes on hotspot definition. Furthermore, the Spanish SPA network does not cover the most important areas for steppe birds adequately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land abandonment is causing woodland expansion and loss of open habitats in the Alps, coupled with a shift in forestry practices from coppice management to high forest. Despite such rapid large-scale changes, there has been very little investigation of the environmental predictors of biodiversity in the Alpine landscape. We assessed the richness of amphibians, reptiles and breeding birds (n = 189 species), used as a surrogate of biodiversity, in 58 quadrats of 100 km2, located within a well surveyed area of the province of Trento (central-eastern Italian Alps). The surrogates were then related to a series of environmental variables by means of stepwise multiple regression. Depending on the surrogate analysed, species richness declined linearly or quadratically with elevation, and increased with habitat heterogeneity and the availability of grassland and arid-rocky habitats. The same results were obtained when incorporating a measure of species threat into the biodiversity estimates. Different surrogates were positively inter-correlated, probably because of a common response to the same factor, namely elevation, which was the only variable to enter all models. Such elevational gradient produced a clear biodiversity peak in low-elevation areas, generating potential conflict between efficient biodiversity conservation and economic interests linked to human development, a scenario which probably applies to many mountain regions worldwide. The current network of protected areas was quite satisfactory in terms of area covered but biased towards high-elevation areas, of high scenic beauty but relatively low in animal biodiversity value. Low-elevation reserves were small and isolated. Proposed conservation targets include the establishment of corridors increasing the connectivity of low-elevation reserves and the promotion of incentives for the extensive management of grassland, an agro-ecosystem of high historical and biological value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical deforestation has emerged as one of the most important conservation challenges of our time, both because of the high species diversity and rates of endemism of tropical forests, and because of the rapid rate at which this process is proceeding. Recent studies indicate that areas of low-intensity agroforestry have similar levels of vertebrate diversity as some primary habitats, leading some researchers and conservationists to conclude that this type of commodity production could contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. We compared the composition of bird, mammal and herpetofaunal communities in primary forest, secondary forest, and pasture—and within the allspice productive systems that have replaced pasture. We found that mammal species richness was higher in primary forest than all other habitats; however for resident and migrant birds, amphibians and reptiles, species richness was similar between primary forest and the other habitats. Despite similarities in overall numbers of species, there were numerous species that were encountered only in primary habitats. We conclude that the cultivation of allspice in a mixed productive system can offset some of the losses to biodiversity; however it should be complemented by the establishment and maintenance of protected areas to accommodate populations of primary forest specialists that are unable to persist in altered habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Success of species conservation depends to a large extent on comprehensive management that considers all critical aspects of a species' niche. Many studies have examined habitat factors in relation to occurrence, abundance or foraging behaviour of European woodpecker species, while relatively little is known about nest site selection. I compared habitat structures used for nesting by middle and great spotted woodpeckers Dendrocopos medius and D. major with available structures in an oak forest in the Swiss lowlands. I first tested if nest trees were randomly selected among available trees by focusing on species, condition and diameter of nest trees, and on the presence of the fruiting body (hereafter sporophore) of polypores (wood-decomposing fungi). Second, I examined if the nesting niches of the two species were differentiated. Both species showed strong preferences for oaks, large trees, dead trees and for trees with sporophores. Nest sites of the two species differed most strongly with respect to the presence of sporophores, cavity age and tree condition, pointing towards interspecific competition for nest sites. Old living or dead trees with sporophores are central components of the nesting niche of middle and great spotted woodpeckers. Conservation plans for the threatened middle spotted woodpecker have so far mostly focused on the needs in terms of distribution and foraging; future conservation strategies and forest management must take into account the preference for dead and decaying trees with sporophores as another vital resource. This will also provide benefits for other woodpecker species as well as for the community of secondary cavity nesters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study contrasts the actual conservation spending and the Australian public's demand for conservation funding for two Australian mammal species, the koala and the northern hairy-nosed wombat. It involves a survey of 204 members of the Australian public. Willingness to fund conservation action to protect the northern hairy-nosed wombat was found to be higher than that for the koala despite the koala's immense popularity. The critically endangered status of the northern-hairy nosed wombat and the more secure conservation status of the koala is a factor likely to have influenced the comparative willingness-to-pay decisions. Actual annual conservation expenditure for both species is lower than the estimated aggregate willingness-to-pay for their conservation. Furthermore, conservation funding for the koala is much more than that for the northern hairy-nosed wombat even though the estimated public willingness-to-pay (demand) for funding koala conservation was less than for this wombat species. Reasons for this are suggested. They may also help to explain misalignment between demand for conservation funding of other species involving differences in charisma and endangerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conflict between people and wildlife is a major issue in both wildlife conservation and rural development. In African rangelands, species such as African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), lions (Panthera leo), leopards (Panthera pardus), and spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) may kill livestock and are therefore themselves killed by local pastoralists. Such conflict has led to the extirpation of these species from many areas, and also impacts the livelihoods of local livestock farmers. To investigate the possibilities for coexistence of people, livestock, and large predators in community rangelands, we measured the effectiveness of traditional livestock husbandry in reducing depredation by wild carnivores, using a case-control approach. Different measures were effective against different predator species but, overall, the risk of predator attack by day was lowest for small herds, accompanied by herd dogs as well as human herders, grazing in open habitat. By night, the risk of attack was lowest for herds held in enclosures (‘bomas') with dense walls, pierced by few gates, where both men and domestic dogs were present. Unexpectedly, the presence of scarecrows increased the risks of attack on bomas. Our findings suggest that improvements to livestock husbandry can contribute to the conservation and recovery of large carnivores in community rangelands, although other measures such as prey conservation and control of domestic dog diseases are also likely to be necessary for some species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat destruction alters the structure and spatial arrangement of remnants and creates a novel matrix, affecting the structure of biological communities. This study evaluated the contribution of patch, class and landscape level attributes of 42 wetland fragments and surrounding landscapes on the richness, abundance and presence of waterbird species. Twelve monthly censuses identified 55 species--ranging from 3 to 40 among fragments, and a total of 84,286 birds--ranging from 15 to 19,322. Wetland areas varied from 0.2 ha to 145.2 ha. The presence of 37 out of 42 species could be predicted from the structure of the fragments and the landscapes. The most important predictors were the wetland area (22 models), the rice field matrix permeability (13 models), the microhabitat richness (7 models), the wetland connectivity (5 models), and the wetland isolation (5 models). Discriminant analysis showed that fragments richer in species than expected from their areas, are found in landscapes with greater connectivity and matrix permeability than the species-poor fragments. The total area of rice fields was not related to the richness, abundance or presence of waterbirds in the wetlands fragments. The results suggest that the maintenance of the connectivity among fragments and the matrix permeability through rice-fields could be managed to foster the waterbird conservation at the landscape scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable methods to estimate species richness are very important to managers and conservationists because they provide key data to make the right decisions in conservation programmes. In the case of carnivore mammals, traditional methods, such as direct count censuses, are not useful since these animals are usually scarce, elusive and nocturnal. Difficulties in carnivore sampling are compounded when monitoring programmes are developed at large spatial scales, where high economic costs and field efforts are necessary to achieve reliable richness or abundance estimates. These problems have highlighted the need to find more effective carnivore survey methods, especially in regions with high rates of landscape change, such as the Mediterranean basin. The present study, performed in a typical Mediterranean area, was the first in Europe to test simultaneously the relative efficiencies of four broad-applied sampling methods to detect carnivore species at large spatial scales. Sign surveys based on scat detection, scent stations, camera-trapping and live-trapping were investigated. We compared efficiencies using biological parameters and by considering both the logistic and economic costs of each method. Overall, scent stations and sign surveys were the most efficient methods both in economic and logistic terms. In addition, the use of scent stations may be necessary to detect species rarely detected by scats. Detailed and extensive training programmes for conducting sign surveys and scent stations may overcome perceived problems thus enhancing the widespread use of both methods. Our results are applicable not only to other Mediterranean areas, but also to other habitats and regions of the world. More research into the suitability of these and other methods in relation to different landscapes, seasons and species is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wildlife of the Brazilian Cerrado is threatened by large-scale habitat loss, in particular due to conversion to agricultural land. It is essential to study how the mammal fauna copes with the highly fragmented, human-influenced, non-protected landscape. The paper presents the results of a survey of the large to medium-sized mammals of a typical cattle ranch with a mixture of human-created and natural vegetation types. We recorded 18 species. Surprisingly, several species were found to still thrive in the area, however, many species are rare or have become extinct. We conclude the paper with comments relevant for the conservation of mammals in the Cerrado as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is threatened by large-scale habitat loss, in particular due to conversion to agricultural land. This is the first published study on maned wolf density and the first test of individual identification from camera-trap photographs. We present results from two Brazilian regions: the Cerrado and the Pantanal. Using capture-recapture analysis of camera-trap data, we estimated densities per 100 square kilometers of 3.64 ± 0.77 individuals at the Cerrado site and 1.56 ± 0.77 individuals at the Pantanal site. Parallel radio-telemetry studies at the Pantanal site showed that maned wolves occupied home ranges of 39-58 km2 (mean = 50.3 ± 7.67 km2). Our study in the Cerrado took place in a private farm with a mixture of agricultural land and native habitats, representative of the majority of the present-day Cerrado. Whereas many other mammalian species have suffered in the region, our results show that the maned wolf may cope better with this highly fragmented landscape than one might have feared. Finally, the paper briefly compares maned wolf density with density of puma (Puma concolor) in the Pantanal site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species introductions are among the most pervasive types of disturbance, seriously affecting island biota and ecosystem dynamics. The management of introduced generalist species, which may live in a wide range of environmental conditions, can be particularly difficult and is a major challenge for the conservation of native insular species. Boa constrictor was introduced onto Cozumel Island, Mexico, in 1971. The introduction of this generalist predator has affected negatively the native species (many of them endemic to the island) on which the boa feed. It is important to determine temporal variation in boa abundance, the areas of the island in which boas live, and the vegetation types they use in order to develop management strategies to reduce boa pressure on the native biota. We used nocturnal road transect sampling and occasional boa encounters during field work, to estimate boa distribution, abundance and habitat use, taking into account its spatiotemporal patterns on Cozumel Island. This study confirms that Boa constrictor is well established, widespread, and abundant on the island. Our results show that boas are distributed throughout Cozumel, in all vegetation types and geographical regions. Overall, there were 0.11 ± 0.03 boa/10 km road transect. There were no significant spatiotemporal differences in boa activity (time of day) and abundance (monthly, seasonally, by vegetation types or regions of the island). According to the habitat use analysis, there were, however, fewer boas than expected in the subdeciduous tropical forest we sampled and in the central-northern region of the island, which coincide with areas inhabited by humans. There were more boas in areas uninhabited by humans, and there was a tendency towards a greater proportion of dead boas in inhabited areas and live boas in uninhabited areas. Cozumel boas are habitat generalists, which are affected by human induced mortality in inhabited areas. There is a vast area uninhabited by humans, with natural vegetation, on the island where boas have suitable habitats available for their continuous existence on Cozumel. This situation, and the adaptability of the boa, makes the control or eradication of this introduced species a critical conservation challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the population status of the common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, in one of their main habitats, the northeastern Atlantic forest of Brazil, where only 2% of its original area remains as small and isolated forest fragments, to determine long-term viable populations. The study was carried out in 15 forest fragments, measuring from 3,478.3 ha (the largest) to 6 ha, which were invariably subjected to high human impact. Line transect surveys were carried out between January 2002 and December 2004, along transects measuring from 350 to 4,000 m, between 0500 h and 0900 h. Common marmosets were registered in 73% (n = 11) of the forest fragments, were not recorded in the largest one, the Coimbra Forest, and group sizes varied from 1 to 4 individuals. A negative significant relationship was detected between the size of the fragment and the number of sightings of common marmosets. It is shown that the number of groups of common marmosets dwelling in this highly impacted landscape is nowadays lower than necessary for long-term survival. Additionally, smaller fragments having more groups suggests that they live in total association with humans, which assure their subsistence through the supply of introduced and exotic foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seventy-three forest patches were assessed to determine the effects of human and natural impact on native forests along the Lower Tana River flood plains in Kenya between January and March 2001. Seventeen of these forests were within the Tana River Primate National Reserve (TRPNR) while 56 were outside the protected area. Cultivation and dyke construction had the most devastating human impact, which involved partial or complete forest clearing resulting in further fragmentation of forest patches [Suleman MA, Wahungu GM, Mouria PK, Karere GM, Oguge N, Moinde NN (2001) Tana River primate census and forest evaluation. A report to Kenya Wildlife Services]. Natural impacts were either die back or flooding, which appeared to cause progressive degradation of forest structure and biodiversity. Overall, forest area in the Lower Tana significantly reduced by 34.5% (P < 0.001) over a 21-year period. Forest loss was greater outside the reserve (38%) than inside (29.2%) reiterating the significant role played by this protected area in habitat and species conservation. Continued forest loss increases extinction risks for the endemic primate species the Tana River Red Colobus (Procolobus rufomitratus) and the Crested Mangabey sub-species (Cercocebus galeritus galeritus). Initiation of community conservation programmes outside the reserve and introduction of sustainable micro-economic projects were recommended to enhance sustainable livelihoods and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The threatened forest habitats of the tropical Andes are reportedly being modified and destroyed 30% faster than their lowland tropical counterparts, but impacts on the hyper-diverse resident avifauna have received little systematic study. We present a baseline analysis of the effects of habitat modification on birds in a lower montane forest landscape in Ecuador, comparing avian community composition in landscape elements subjected to different levels of human modification: primary forest, secondary forest, edge habitat and agricultural land. We use data from a point count survey of 300 counts at 150 sites to test whether community composition and density of birds with different reported habitat preferences and foraging strategies change among landscape elements. Species richness and diversity were lowest in agricultural land, but on some measures, equally low in primary forest. Richness and diversity peaked in secondary forest and edge habitat, but ordination and density analysis revealed clear differences in their species composition. While secondary forest contained mostly forest-preferring species, edge habitat harboured a mix of forest and open-land birds. There was a clearly structured gradient in species composition across landscape elements, with densities of habitat specialists, foraging guilds and families varying considerably from primary forest to agricultural land. Agricultural land was characterised by an assemblage of widespread, abundant species very different from that in core forest habitats. As such, while the majority of montane forest birds appear resilient to a certain level of habitat modification, they cannot persist, and are displaced, where forest has been cleared outright. We argue that, for Andean montane forests, preservation of mature secondary forest offers flexibility in supplementing preserved primary forest areas to provide sufficient habitat for the persistence of this incredibly diverse but severely threatened bird community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Richness of endemic species is considered important for biodiversity conservation and avifaunal regionalization, but no detailed studies concerning the subregional endemism have yet been done in China. Here we investigate the assemblage of China avian endemics of each avifaunal subregion, and analyze the faunal subregional species diversity, subspecific differentiation, and their relationships. The endemic species richness is found to be the highest in the Southwest Mountainous subregion where 60 species account for 57.1% of China's 105 endemics. Seventy seven species accounting for 73.3% are monotypic. Twenty eight species (26.7%) occurred in only one subregion; the mean was 3.14±1.929 subregions, while 3 species were found widespread over 8 subregions. The number of species distributed only at one specific subregion (EOSR) is the highest in Taiwan subregion. The Southwest Mountainous subregion has the second highest EOSR and the highest richness of monotypic species, but the ratio of numbers of monotypic species or EOSR to the numbers of its subregional overall endemic species is not high in this subregion (68.3%; 10.0%). On the contrary, Taiwan subregion does not have higher richness of overall endemic species and monotypic species, but the EOSR is the highest, while the ratio of numbers of monotypic species or EOSR to the numbers of its subregional overall endemic species is also the highest among all subregions (76.2%; 71.4%). From the evidence of comparing subregional distribution of overall endemic species, EOSR, monotypic species and subspecific diversification, we may conclude that geographical isolation might be the main effect factor contributing to both subspecific diversification and avian subregional endemism in China. The higher endemic and monotypic richness in the Southwest Mountainous subregion may also indicate that the subregion's avifaunal evolutionary and ecological isolation results from the highly diversified habitats and geographical environments as well as the historical effects from the primitive avifauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eastern Arc mountain chain and adjoining coastal forests of Tanzania and Kenya have been listed as world biodiversity hotspots. We report on an ongoing attempt to estimate amphibian diversity on the three best studied mountains of the Eastern Arc, the East Usambara, Uluguru and Udzungwa mountains of Tanzania, complemented by an estimate of diversity on the adjoining coastal lowland. This proves to be a complex task, which introduces a note of caution into evaluating global biodiversity estimates. Most amphibian species in eastern Tanzania occur on the coastal lowlands and are widely distributed, extending at least north or south of Tanzania and, to a variable extent, westwards to the elevated interior. Diversity patterns along the length of the lowlands are complex, with the presence of a Sahelian element in the extreme north. On the three Eastern Arc mountains studied, species turnover associated with rising altitude is greater than turnover associated with latitudinal distance between the mountain blocks, leading to greater altitudinal than latitudinal diversity in this equatorial region. A long-standing divergence is indicated between montane and lowland endemics. Although forest-associated species are not the largest contributor to the eastern Tanzanian total species diversity (some 48%), the uniqueness of these species both in lowland and montane forests, combined with their evident vulnerability to disturbance, makes them a subject for particular conservation concern, and justifies hotspot status for both montane and lowland forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correlations between environmental factors and the distribution of amphibian and reptile species richness were investigated in a climate transition area, Peneda-Gerês National Park (PNPG), in North-Western Portugal. Using presence-data at a local-scale (1 × 1 km), Ecological-Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) identified a mixture of climatic (precipitation and number of days with fog), topographical (altitude and relief) and habitat factors (number of watercourses and water surfaces, the type of the largest water surface and tree diversity cover), as accurate predictors of species occurrence. Three factors were common for both taxonomic groups, and consistently presented a positive relation with species occurrence: precipitation, number of water surfaces, and tree diversity cover; suggesting a strong coincidence in the environmental correlates that influence amphibian and reptile species richness. Distribution patterns of observed and predicted species richness were compared using a Geographical Information System. Overall, three high species richness areas were predicted in common for both taxonomic groups and two additional areas for amphibians only. These areas matched with the observed species richness but suggested larger areas of high species richness. The location of the PNPG in a biogeographic crossroad, between Euro-Siberian and Mediterranean provinces, emphasised species richness of amphibians and reptiles and suggests a high priority conservation status for this protected area. Most of Central-Northern Portugal is located in a climatic transition area; therefore, increased species richness should be expected for other areas. Local scale studies for other protected areas should be planned as a framework for the development of multi-scale conservation planning by Portuguese authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to examine the entire species description process of limnoterrestrial tardigrades up until the present, and to establish the effects of several variables on this process. Information from monographs, revisions and published papers related to limnoterrestrial tardigrades was assessed using generalized linear models (GLM) and variance partition. Our findings reveal the tardigrade species description process fails to show an asymptotic tendency. That is, at the current description rate, we will not get to know all the species in the short- or mid-term. The variables examined served to explain about half of the process variance. Species distribution areas and variables related to their presence in each region were the factors found to have the greatest explanatory capacity. Our analysis indicates that insufficient efforts have been invested in the tardigrades compared to other invertebrates (such as Insecta: Coleoptera), and that there is a need for more taxonomists and more extensive sampling areas. Studies such as this will be useful for planning future species sampling campaigns, and help us to improve our methodological approach to investigations aimed at conservation and the preservation of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the life-history of the Sierra Madre sparrow (Xenospiza baileyi) in a subalpine grassland-agriculture mosaic south of Mexico City. From March to early September 1999 we captured and color-banded 53 adults with mist-nets and mapped the breeding territories of 21 males. We again mapped territories in the same spot in April and May 2000. The number of breeding territories was found to be the same in the two consecutive years and interannual survivorship was found to be relatively high. Breeding territories were restricted to the bunchgrass-covered areas. We used the density of territories and the amount of remaining habitat to estimate a total population size of 5,380-6,150 adults for this species. Using this and other recent data, we recommend raising the Sierra Madre sparrow to the status of critically endangered using BirdLife International criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the land mammals of Madagascar have been the subject of many studies, the island's bats have yet to feature prominently on the research or conservation agenda. In this study we used mist nets, acoustic sampling and cave surveys to assess habitat use, seasonality and roost selection. Four microchiropteran species (Triaenops rufus, T. furculus, Miniopterus manavi and Myotis goudoti) appeared to be strongly associated with the forest interior based on trapping, but analysis of time-expanded echolocation recordings revealed that T. rufus and M. manavi were frequently recorded in forest edges and clearings. Bat activity was significantly lower inside the forest than at the interface between agricultural land and forest. The caves visited most often by tourists were low in bat abundance and species richness. Anjohikinakina Cave, which was visited infrequently by people, was used by five species and contained between 54% (winter) and 99% (summer) of bats counted in 16 caves and is a site of national importance for bat conservation. Hipposideros commersoni was only netted in our study area during October and may be a migrant to the site or present but inactive during the austral winter. The forest surrounding the caves is therefore important because it provides cover for emerging bats and a potential source of invertebrate prey whilst the forest edge is important to foraging bats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on nesting data over a 12-year period (1993-2004), this study points to a negative population trend of the loggerhead turtle population at Fethiye beach, Turkey. The number of nests fluctuated from a maximum of 186 in 1995 to a minimum of 58 in 2004. Successively smaller peaks at 3-year intervals were followed by successively smaller troughs. Two analyses—one representing a dampened oscillation, the other retaining the period and the amplitudes of the nesting cycles—predict that nest number will drop to about 40-50 by 2015, i.e. to about 22-27% of its highest value. This drop at Fethiye does not correspond with a visible increase at neighboring beaches, leading to the interpretation that the number of nesting turtles here is declining. Moreover, the carapace size of emerging adult females is apparently decreasing, as are clutch sizes. Such a potential negative trend at a key Turkish nesting beach is cause for concern, an incentive for continued study, and a call for more coordinated and effective conservation programs in this region of the Mediterranean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species do not respond identically to the presence of humans, and this may have consequences at higher-levels of ecological organization. We established bird transects on and off recreational trails in the high Córdoba Mountains of Argentina, a biogeographic island characterized by high levels of endemism, to examine the effect of human visitation at three different levels: (a) community (avian species richness and diversity), (b) guild (relative density of carnivores, granivores, insectivores, and omnivores), and (c) population (relative density of individual bird species). Human presence in the high Córdoba Mountains decreased avian species richness and diversity, and reduced insectivorous relative density, but we did not detect significant effects on granivores, omnivores, and carnivores. At the population level, 6 of 28 species were negatively affected by human visitation; four of these species are of conservation concern. Our results show negative responses to recreationists at multiple levels (e.g., reductions in density, displacement of species from highly visited areas), which may be related to spatial and temporal access to suitable resources, physical disturbance or species-specific tolerance thresholds. Our study area had lower levels of human visitation relative to other protected areas in the Northern Hemisphere, which raises the issue of whether this kind of biogeographically isolated habitat may be too fragile to sustain increasing levels of tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing rates of declines in anuran populations worldwide are creating demands for urgent strategies to maximize conservation efforts. This may be critical in regions for which few detailed data on diversity, abundance and distribution are available, such as in the Cerrado of Central Brazil. In this paper, we used a macroecological approach based on the extent of occurrence of 131 species of Anura (Amphibia) in the Cerrado region to design a regional network of potential areas that preserves all anuran species. The final network, obtained using a simulation annealing algorithm based on complementarity, has a total of 17 cells, widely distributed throughout the biome. Minimum costs solutions were obtained in respect to total human population size, soybean production and bovine density, because these are the factors associated with human occupation that historically are more likely to cause broad scale habitat losses. The macro-scale approach used here can provide overall guidelines for conservation and define the focus for more local and effective conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To nest in the same breeding area, territory or even nest-site in successive years may provide a possibility to look at mechanisms involved in breeding habitat selection and could also be an important tool for conservation, management and restoration attempts. In this study we examine site fidelity towards the breeding area as well as the nesting site in a dense and stable population of the Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor, a long-distance migrant and highly endangered passerine species, at its present northern border of its breeding range. Overall we recovered 48 out of 146 (32.8%) adults between 1996 and 2000. Recovery rate is significantly higher for males (31 of 77, 40.25%) than for females (17 of 69, 24.6%). Recovery rate of nestlings is much lower since only 51 of 790 (6.5%) were recovered and there is no significant sex difference. Furthermore, our results from 1989 to 2000 revealed that more than 30% (97/319) of the nests were built in the same nest tree in successive years and more than half (183/319 = 57.4%) of the nests in the same or neighboring trees (up to 20 m), but very seldom by the same individuals. The fact that nest reuse in successive years is almost exclusively done by different individuals suggests habitat copying and public information of individual birds. Due to optimal ecological breeding conditions other parameters like inbreeding avoidance or increased genetic variability could be important factors in nest-site selection strategies and consequently result in a "disperse over stay strategy". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]