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Climate change is exerting unprecedented impacts on marine habitats, and many sessile invertebrate species, such as the endangered giant clam Tridacna maxima, are particularly sensitive to climate driven changes in their environment. Understanding its spatial distribution and conservation requirements is of crucial significance in formulating effective protection strategies. However, the species has been extensively harvested and depleted in many regions, leading to its listing as endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). While marine protected areas (MPAs) are considered effective conservation tools, it remains uncertain whether existing MPAs adequately protect these vulnerable giant clams. To enhance the management and conservation of this species, we employed a Species Distribution Models (SDMs) approach, integrating occurrence records of T. maxima with environmental variables, to predict its potential distribution based on habitat suitability and capture spatiotemporal changes. Based on geographical and genetic variations, the T. maxima in the Indo‐Pacific core region is primarily divided into two populations: the East Indian Ocean‐South China Sea population (EIOS) and the West Pacific‐Indonesia population (WPI). We first quantified realized niche to reveal significant differences in ecological niche space among different populations. Subsequently, SDMs were constructed at both species and population levels, demonstrating that population‐level SDMs provide more reliable predictions of population distributions due to differential responses to climatic predictor variables. Finally, we conducted an assessment to identify conservation gaps for T. maxima beyond the existing MPAs and proposed recommendations for future establishment of MPAs within the current framework. Based on these findings, appropriate conservation policies have been proposed to effectively protect the habitat of different geographical populations of T. maxima. Additionally, spatiotemporal predictions of habitat suitability provide crucial information for developing adaptive management strategies for T. maxima in response to climate change, including designing new protected areas and adjusting the location and extent of existing protected areas based on their geographical distribution. We employed a Species Distribution Models (SDMs) approach, integrating occurrence records of Tridacna maxima with environmental variables, to predict its potential distribution based on habitat suitability and capture spatiotemporal changes. In addition, we conducted an assessment to identify conservation gaps beyond the existing MPAs and proposed recommendations for the future establishment of MPAs within the current framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Sharks belong to the class Chondrichthyes in the phylum Chordata. They are widely distributed in tropical, temperate, and polar oceans worldwide. As the top predator in the marine food chain, sharks have late sexual maturity and a long reproductive cycle. In recent years, due to the threat of illegal fishing and overfishing, their numbers have fallen sharply, and 23 species of sharks have been listed in protected lists, which poses a direct threat to the balance of marine ecosystems. In order to explore ways to increase the number of sharks by improving their reproductive performance under artificial breeding conditions, we used the striped bamboo shark (Chilosophy plagiosum) as an experimental animal, which has been listed as a near-threatened species in the Red List of Endangered Species of the World Conservation Union and legally bred in Chimelong Ocean Kingdom of Zhuhai, China. The results of the breeding experiment showed that feeding sharks a nutritional fortifier in the breeding season can improve the spawning quantity and egg quality of the striped bamboo shark, which provides new ideas and strategies for improving the protection and utilization level of shark resources, and has important economic, ecological, and social benefits. To explore a method of improving the reproductive performance of the striped bamboo shark, three groups (D0, D1, and D2) of mature individuals were fed squid with (D1 and D2) or without (D0) a nutritional fortifier during the breeding seasons of 2022 and 2023. Compared with the D0 group, the D1 and D2 groups had an increase of 20.90% and 31.34% in total eggs, increases of 32.73% and 41.82% in the proportion of lecithal eggs, and a total 119.07% increase in hatching rate, respectively, in 2022. In 2023, the corresponding increase was 17.12% and 9.91% in total eggs, 19.63% and 12.15% in the proportion of lecithal eggs, 43.37% and 43.94% in fertilization rate, 23.94% and 22.22% in hatchability rate, and 66.70% and 8.70% in the survival rate of fry. Moreover, the levels of serum estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, albumin, and total antioxidant capacity and the levels of ARA, EPA, DHA, n-3 PUFA, and n-6 PUFA in both serum and lecithal eggs significantly increased, while the levels of serum triglyceride and total cholesterol were the opposite (p < 0.05). The results demonstrate that feeding the sharks with a nutritional fortifier can increase spawn production and the quality of eggs, regulate the production of sex steroids, and improve the nutrition of eggs and the health of broodstocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study investigated core habitat areas for yellow-throated martens and leopard cats, two endangered forest species sensitive to habitat fragmentation in Korea. Overlaying the InVEST-HQ and MaxEnt models, priority conservation areas were identified by analyzing gaps in currently protected areas. The core area (14.7%) was mainly distributed in forests such as the Baekdudaegan Mountains Reserve and 12.9% was outside protected areas, and only 1.8% was protected. Conservation priority areas were identified as those with more than 95% forest cover, offering an appropriate habitat for the two species. These findings can be used to identify priority conservation areas through objective habitat analysis and as a basis for protected area designation and assessment of endangered species habitat conservation, thereby contributing to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. This study investigated core habitat areas for yellow-throated martens (Martes flavigula) and leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis), two endangered forest species sensitive to habitat fragmentation in Korea. Overlaying the InVEST-HQ and MaxEnt models, priority conservation areas were identified by analyzing gaps in currently protected areas. The InVEST-HQ model showed that habitat quality ranged from 0 to 0.86 on a scale from 0 to 1, and the majority of the most suitable areas on the Environmental Conservation Value Assessment Map, designated as grade 1, were derived correctly. The MaxEnt model analysis accurately captured the ecological characteristics of the yellow-throated marten and the leopard cat and identified probable regions of occurrence. We analyzed the most suitable yellow-throated marten and leopard cat habitats by superimposing the two results. Gap analysis determined gaps in existing protected areas and identified priority conservation areas. The core area (14.7%) was mainly distributed in forests such as the Baekdudaegan Mountains Reserve in regions such as Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Gangwon; 12.9% was outside protected areas, and only 1.8% was protected. The overlap results between protected and non-protected areas were compared with different land use types. Conservation priority areas were identified as those with more than 95% forest cover, offering an appropriate habitat for the two species. These findings can be used to identify priority conservation areas through objective habitat analysis and as a basis for protected area designation and assessment of endangered species habitat conservation, thereby contributing to biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public perception of endangered species is crucial for successful management of community-based conservation and sustainability of national parks. By the method of choice experiment, our study evaluated conservation preferences and willingness to donate money for flagship and non-flagship species using a choice experiment with 409 residents living near the Lanstang river source of Sanjiangyuan National Park, China. We found that flagship species such as the Snow leopard (Pristine plateau) and White-lipped deer (Przewalskium albirostris) generated more conservation funds than non-flagship species. However, not all flagship species were accepted. Respondents disliked Tibetan brown bears (Ursus arctos pruinosus) due to direct human-wildlife conflicts such as bodily injury and property damage. Heterogeneity of preference was influenced by household income, religious beliefs, ethnicity, culture, and conservation awareness. Results can be used to establish a local community-participative framework by combining conservation motivations that alleviate human-wildlife conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observatories are designed to collect data for a range of uses. The Australian Acoustic Observatory (A2O) was established to collect environmental sound, including audible species calls, from 344 recorders at 86 sites around Australia. We examine the potential of the A2O to monitor near threatened, threatened, endangered and critically endangered species, based on their vocal behaviour, geographic distributions in relation to the sites of the A2O and on some knowledge of habitat use. Using IUCN and EPBC lists of threatened and endangered species, we extracted species that vocalized in the audible range, and using conservative estimates of their geographic ranges, determined whether there was a possibility of hearing them at these sites. We found that it may be possible to detect up to 171 threatened species at sites established for the A2O, and that individual sites have the potential to detect up to 40 threatened species. All 86 sites occurred in locations where threatened species could possibly be detected, and the list of detectable species included birds, amphibians, and mammals. We have incidentally detected one mammal and four bird species in the data during other work. Threatening processes to which potentially detectable species were exposed included all but two IUCN threat categories. We concluded that with applications of technology to search the audio data from the A2O, it could serve as an important tool for monitoring threatened species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of endosymbionts and their hosts can lead to highly dynamic interactions with varying fitness effects for both the endosymbiont and host species. Wolbachia, a ubiquitous endosymbiont of arthropods and nematodes, can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on host fitness. We documented the occurrence and patterns of transmission of Wolbachia within the Hawaiian Drosophilidae and examined the potential contributions of Wolbachia to the rapid diversification of their hosts. Screens for Wolbachia infections across a minimum of 140 species of Hawaiian Drosophila and Scaptomyza revealed species-level infections of 20.0%, and across all 399 samples, a general infection rate of 10.3%. Among the 44 Wolbachia strains we identified using a modified Wolbachia multi-locus strain typing scheme, 30 (68.18%) belonged to supergroup B, five (11.36%) belonged to supergroup A, and nine (20.45%) had alleles with conflicting supergroup assignments. Co-phylogenetic reconciliation analysis indicated that Wolbachia strain diversity within their endemic Hawaiian Drosophilidae hosts can be explained by vertical (e.g., co-speciation) and horizontal (e.g., host switch) modes of transmission. Results from stochastic character trait mapping suggest that horizontal transmission is associated with the preferred oviposition substrate of the host, but not the host's plant family or island of occurrence. For Hawaiian Drosophilid species of conservation concern, with 13 species listed as endangered and 1 listed as threatened, knowledge of Wolbachia strain types, infection status, and potential for superinfection could assist with conservation breeding programs designed to bolster population sizes, especially when wild populations are supplemented with laboratory-reared, translocated individuals. Future research aimed at improving the understanding of the mechanisms of Wolbachia transmission in nature, their impact on the host, and their role in host species formation may shed light on the influence of Wolbachia as an evolutionary driver, especially in Hawaiian ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With continued global change, recovery of species listed under the Endangered Species Act is increasingly challenging. One rare success was the recovery and delisting of the Channel Island fox (Urocyon littoralis) after 90%–99% population declines in the 1990s. While their demographic recovery was marked, less is known about their genetic recovery. To address genetic changes, we conducted the first multi‐individual and population‐level direct genetic comparison of samples collected before and after the recent bottlenecks. Using whole‐exome sequencing, we found that already genetically depauperate populations were further degraded by the 1990s declines and remain low, particularly on San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands, which underwent the most severe bottlenecks. The two other islands that experienced recent bottlenecks (Santa Cruz, and Santa Catalina islands) showed mixed results based on multiple metrics of genetic diversity. Previous island fox genomics studies showed low genetic diversity before the declines and no change after the demographic recovery, thus this is the first study to show a decrease in genetic diversity over time in U. littoralis. Additionally, we found that divergence between populations consistently increased over time, complicating prospects for using inter‐island translocation as a conservation tool. The Santa Catalina subspecies is now federally listed as threatened, yet other de‐listed subspecies are still recovering genetic variation which may limit their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. This study further demonstrates that species conservation is more complex than population size and that some island fox populations are not yet 'out of the woods'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pityopsis ruthii (Small) Small, Ruth's golden aster, is an endangered Asteraceae species that grows in the riparian zone along small sections of two rivers in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States of America (USA). Since 1985, the species has been listed under the Endangered Species Act by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The mission of the USFWS is to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continued benefit of the American people. The agency provides national leadership in the recovery and conservation of imperiled plant species by working with the scientific community to protect important habitats, increase species' populations, and identify and reduce threats to species survival with the goal of removal from federal protection. Over the past 35 years, research efforts have focused on studies designed to delineate the range and size of populations, determine habitat requirements, reproductive and propagation potential, and understand the demographic, ecological, and genetic factors that may increase vulnerability to extinction for P. ruthii. Cooperative partnerships have driven the completion of actions called for in the strategy to recover P. ruthii, and in this review, we highlight these efforts within the context of species conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On December 10, 2020, Elizabeth Ann, a black-footed ferret, was born. This was a momentous occasion, as it was the first time a native species listed under the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) had been cloned. This is the first major attempt to use biotechnology to aid in the conservation of an endangered species, but it will certainly not be the last. While cloning may only be relevant for a small subsection of species, other forms of biotechnology, like genetic engineering, could be used to restore lost diversity or make novel changes to genomes. Projects to modify coral to withstand warmer oceans, or to create resistance against chronic disease in amphibians, are already in progress in academic and industry labs. Despite the promise, the application of these techniques to wild-life conservation is controversial. The use of genetic engineering to intervene in evolution is contentious because it challenges humanity’s assumptions about the very meaning of Nature. Genetic interventions pit the goals of protection of species and preservation of functioning ecosystems against deeply ingrained views that wildlife should exist apart from our influence. Many threats that listed species face are unlikely to be abated using traditional conservation approaches, forcing us to perpetually manage rather than truly recover. In this Article, I argue that genetic engineering can facilitate the recovery of biodiversity. Our actions have already permanently modified “natural” genomes, and many of our management strategies clearly impinge upon the “wildness” of these species. With this in mind, taking a more informed and active role in that modification, limiting the temporal scope of management, is important for the future of wildlife conservation. Additionally, even though the Coordinated Framework does a poor job regulating conservation engineering, the ESA could provide regulatory oversight for the creation and release of these organisms through the use of: (1) recovery permits; (2) the Controlled Propagation regulations; (3) the 10(j) experimental population procedures; and (4) special 4(d) rules. I conclude by making recommendations to improve this oversight and suggest factors to guide the Services in using these technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mexican Long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) is the largest nectarivorous species in the New World, and one of three migratory nectarivores in Mexico. It is considered an 'Endangered Species' under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and 'Threatened' by the Mexican Federal List of Endangered Species. In 1994, a Recovery Plan was developed by the USFWS with the participation of Mexican and American researchers, and the most urgent actions to ensure the species protection were identified. Locating and protecting roosts are among the most urgent tasks recognized. With this study, we aimed to identify the most suitable areas potentially holding additional mating roosts of Leptonycteris nivalis, and we conducted surveys of these areas to confirm its presence, and to assess the reproductive state of individuals. We used Maxent, the Genetic Algorithm for Rule-set Production (GARP), and Bioclim algorithms to generate an agreement map of the potential distribution of additional mating roosts, and we implemented a Euclidian multidimensional distances analysis to identify ecologically similar regions to "La Cueva del Diablo", the only mating roost known for the species. We identified suitable areas in the states of Morelos, Puebla and the State of Mexico. We visited seventeen caves distributed in ten different localities in these areas. For two consecutive years, we found the species in a cave called: "La Cueva de los Coyotes", located in the State of Mexico, where we captured eighteen individuals, including a pregnant female. The location of an unknown roost so far, occupied by individuals of L. nivalis, and among them a pregnant female, allows us to reflect about the reproductive dynamics of the species. In that sense, reproductive populations may be splitting into smaller colonies to mate, other than "La Cueva del Diablo", or pregnant females might me moving to additional and nearby roosts to spend the rest of the winter season. Using these tools and further refinements we may be able to locate additional mating roosts, thus, providing more possibilities for the application of conservation measures for the protection of the species. El murciélago magueyero mayor (Leptonycteris nivalis) es el murciélago nectarívoro más grande de América y una de las tres especies nectarívoras migratorias de México. Se encuentra catalogada como especie 'En Peligro de Extinción' en Estados Unidos y como 'Amenazada' bajo la ley federal mexicana. A pesar de que L. nivalis tiene una amplia distribución en el país, solamente se ha documentado un refugio de apareamiento de esta especie: "La Cueva del Diablo", localizada en el estado de Morelos, en el centro de México. En 1994, con la participación de investigadores origen mexicano y de Estado Unidos, a través de la USFWS, se elaboró el Plan de Recuperación de L. nivalis, donde se identificaron las acciones más urgentes y necesarias para su recuperación. Dentro de dichas acciones se encuentran la localización y protección de refugios. En este estudio identificamos áreas potenciales de distribución de refugios de apareamiento en el centro de México, realizamos visitas a las zonas predichas por los análisis para confirmar la presencia de L. nivalis y realizamos una evaluación del estado reproductivo de los individuos. Para los análisis realizamos modelos de nicho ecológico utilizando los algoritmos Maxent, Bioclim y GARP y generamos un mapa consenso de las zonas potenciales de distribución. Adicionalmente, realizamos un análisis de distancias euclidanas multidimensionales para identificar las zonas ecológicamente más similares a la "Cueva del Diablo". Como resultado identificamos áreas potenciales en los estados de Morelos, Puebla y el Estado de México. Visitamos 17 cuevas distribuidas en 10 localidades y encontramos individuos de L. nivalis por dos años consecutivos en la "Cueva de los Coyotes", localizada en el suroeste del Estado de México. Capturamos 18 individuos en total, incluyendo una hembra preñada. La ubicación de un refugio ocupado por la especie L. nivalis, y particularmente por una hembra preñada, nos permite reflexionar sobre las dinámicas reproductivas de la especie. En ese sentido, las poblaciones reproductivas podrían estarse separando en pequeñas colonias de apareamiento, a parte de "La Cueva del Diablo", o las hembras preñadas podrían estarse moviendo hacia otros refugios para pasar el resto del inverno. Con el mejoramiento de las técnicas utilizadas en este estudio será posible encontrar y proteger refugios de apareamiento adicionales de L. nivalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The American crocodile Crocodylus acutus occurs across the Americas, with its northernmost distribution being in South Florida, USA. This species has undergone severe declines across its range and is categorized globally as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and as Threatened on the U.S. Federal Endangered Species List. Long-term monitoring studies in the USA have documented a shift in American crocodile nesting activity and an expansion of its range throughout the southern and eastern coasts of South Florida. However, no successful American crocodile nests have been recorded until now on the west coast of South Florida. Here we document the American crocodile nest monitoring conducted during 1997–2021 at Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the first successful nest from the west coast of South Florida for C. acutus. Marco Airport and McIlvane Marsh are the two main American crocodile nesting areas identified at the Reserve, with 92 nests and 3,586 eggs recorded during 1997–2021. We found most nests at Marco Airport (95.7%) and only four nests (4.3%) at McIlvane Marsh. To date, none of the nests found at Marco Airport have produced successful hatchlings. In contrast, hatchlings have been produced at McIlvane Marsh since nests were first documented there in 2020. We discuss the implications of our findings in terms of the future conservation of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) (Lepidoptera Danaidae Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus)) are an iconic species of conservation concern due to declines in the overwintering colonies over the past twenty years. Because of this downward trend in overwintering numbers in both California and Mexico, monarchs are currently considered 'warranted-but-precluded' for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Monarchs have a fascinating life history and have become a model system in chemical ecology, migration biology, and host–parasite interactions, but many aspects of monarch biology important for informing conservation practices remain unresolved. In this review, we focus on recent advances using experimental and genetic approaches that inform monarch conservation. In particular, we emphasize three areas of broad importance, which could have an immediate impact on monarch conservation efforts: 1) breeding habitat and host plant use, 2) natural enemies and exotic caterpillar food plants, and 3) the utility of genetic and genomic approaches for understanding monarch biology and informing ongoing conservation efforts. We also suggest future studies in these areas that could improve our understanding of monarch behavior and conservation. Graphical Abstract Impacts of specific threats including natural enemies and habitat impacts throughout the monarch life cycle. Life cycle Illustrations by Henry Crawford Adams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We monitored the Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis at six sites in Japan to determine trends in the number of breeding pairs. In addition, to identify changes in the reproductive performance of goshawks at a wide geographic scale, breeding data was collected from via web form from observers nationwide and were analyzed regionally. From 2001 to 2021, the number of breeding pairs of goshawks at the six monitoring sites decreased significantly by 2.8%/year. From 2016 to 2021, the proportion of previouslyknown nests that failed to breed had increased in the Kanto and Chubu regions. Also, a significant decreasing trend in the number of fledglings was observed at 47 nests under continuous survey. On September 21, 2017, the Northern Goshawk was removed from the list of "Nationally Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora" under the Law for the Conservation Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The present results do not point to a direct effect attributable to removal from the list. Our data, however, indicates reduced breeding performance and a decline in the number of active pairs, and we recommend continued monitoring of those parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palila Earthjustice's pioneering work to stem the tide of extinction began in 1976, when a relatively new law known as the Endangered Species Act was used by Earthjustice attorney Mike Sherwood to save the endangered Hawaiian palila. The Endangered Species Act is wildlife's best friend in an age of extinction. [Extracted from the article]

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European grassland-breeding wading birds display species-specific responses to different types of grassland conservation (Franks et al., 2018). Our results nonetheless suggest that dedicated conservation efforts have benefited target lowland wet grassland bird species and that monitoring programs can be used to evaluate the impact of conservation interventions by creating credible counterfactuals through matching approaches. Keywords: causal inference; conservation effectiveness; impact evaluation; wetland conservation; wetland birds; aves de humedal; conservación de humedales; efectividad de la conservación; evaluación de impacto; inferencia causal; ; ; ; ; EN causal inference conservation effectiveness impact evaluation wetland conservation wetland birds aves de humedal conservación de humedales efectividad de la conservación evaluación de impacto inferencia causal 1575 1585 11 10/05/21 20211001 NES 211001 Introduction Halting the decline of global biodiversity is currently one of humanity's greatest environmental challenges. [Extracted from the article]

Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br. ex. Schult, commonly called Indian Sarsaparilla, belongs to the family Apocynaceae and is one among the unexplored high valued medicinal plants endemic to the Indian subcontinent. In the recent past, the wild population of this valuable plant species is diminishing and being grouped in the list of endangered species. Environmental Information System (EIS) 2014 has reported H. indicus as a red listed medicinal plant which warrants an immediate need for the collection and conservation of this species. An exploration trip was undertaken to collect H. indicus germplasm from five different regions representing mountains and plains of Tamil Nadu and collected germplasm was successfully established and conserved in pot culture at the net house of Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai, Tamil Nadu. A detailed morphological characterization on twenty-two qualitative and thirteen quantitative traits of the germplasm collections was done and two morphotypes viz., narrow-leaf and broad-leaf plant types. The morphological characterization of this species will be useful for germplasm collectors in the precise identification of the species and the development of an efficient set of descriptors. The collection and maintenance of different ecotypes will thus help to conserve this endangered medicinal plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asian elephant has been listed as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List since 1986. In Peninsular Malaysia, the elephant population continues to decline, threatened by habitat degradation. Distinguishing their potential habitats is important in mitigating the impacts of forest fragmentation. This study aimed to predict the potential habitats of elephants in the fragmented forest landscape of Ulu Jelai Forest Reserve and to identify its characteristics. Habitat suitability was evaluated using several environmental variables––elevation, slope, land use, lithology, distance to river and distance from urban areas. The results showed that the distribution of suitable habitats mainly occurred in the eastern region of the study area. Elephant habitat prediction, using maximum entropy modelling, indicated that their most suitable habitat was located in a forested area that was greatly influenced by altitude and river proximity, while urban and agricultural areas cause forest fragmentation and restricted suitability. The prediction of wildlife habitats using maximum entropy modelling is a favourable and effective tool for improving the management and conservation planning of wildlife in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Illicium griffithii is an aromatic medicinal tree species that has been listed in the IUCN Red List as an endangered species. Dried seed pods of I. griffithii have a good market potential in the spices and pharmaceutical industries. Fruits are the potential source of shikimic acid and used for the production of oseltamivir (a drug against bird flu). However, in recent years, unscientific harvesting and rampant exploitation of the species has caused a negative and adverse effect on its natural population. Proper knowledge of genetic diversity and population structure is crucial to understand the population dynamics, adaptation, and evolutionary pattern of a particular species for conservation. It was from this view point that the present study was undertaken so as to compare the various types of DNA-based molecular markers namely RAPD, ISSR, DAMD, and SCoT by their efficiency and SPAR approach to evaluate the genetic diversity of I. griffithii as well as to analyze population genetic structure for conservation purpose. Result: A total of 250 discernible bands were generated with 246 bands (98.40 %) being polymorphic in nature. All the primers in combination gave a mean polymorphic information content (PIC) of 0.81 and Rp value (resolving power) of 4.32. Nei's, Gst, and AMOVA analysis showed similar values of genetic differentiation among populations (Gst = 0.396, FST = 0.30, respectively), revealing a low level of genetic differentiation among the eight sampled populations. I. griffithii with an estimated gene flow value of Nm = 0.761 was significantly low among populations. Clustering pattern obtained with Bayesian structure and PCoA diagram revealed that intermixing of genetic material across populations is only possible when the populations lie close to each other. This is further validated with UPGMA clustering method where a positive correlation of genetic variability with geographical distance among closely related populations could be clearly seen. Conclusion: The result aids in the identification, collection, and preservation of diverse germplasm of I. griffithii from Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya of Northeast India. This would further help in understanding the population structure and genetic diversity among other Illicium species in order to formulate effective conservation strategies for the improvement of this endangered taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative (LPCI) as a case study to explore the characteristics and motivations of private landowners who were willing or unwilling to enroll in a nearly decade-long program to protect the lesser prairie-chicken ( I Tympanuchus pallidicinctus i ). Program managers may be able to increase participation through increased outreach to landowners and NRCS staff training that focuses on communicating the benefits of the LPCI to landowners. The LPCI was launched in 2010 by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to help ranchers and farmers voluntarily enhance habitat and prevent an ESA listing while also aligning with ranching and agricultural operations (LPCI, [5]). The majority of species at risk of being listed under the United States (U.S.) Endangered Species Act (ESA) relies on habitat located on privately owned land (Turner & Rylander, [8]). [Extracted from the article]

The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) was listed as an endangered species under the Wildlife Conservation Act in Taiwan in 2009. However, no study has evaluated the possible direct or indirect effects of pathogens on the Taiwanese leopard cat population. Here, we targeted viral pathogens, including carnivore protoparvovirus 1 (genus Protoparvovirus), feline leukemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), coronaviruses (CoVs), and canine distemper virus (CDV), through molecular screening. The spatial and temporal dynamics of the target pathogens were evaluated. Through sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, we clarified the phylogenetic relationship of viral pathogens isolated from leopard cats and domestic carnivores. Samples from 23 live-trapped leopard cats and 29 that were found dead were collected from 2015 to 2019 in Miaoli County in northwestern Taiwan. Protoparvoviruses and CoVs were detected in leopard cats, and their prevalence (95% confidence interval) was 63.5% (50.4%–76.6%) and 8.8% (0%–18.4%), respectively. Most of the protoparvovirus sequences amplified from Taiwanese leopard cats and domestic carnivores were identical. All of the CoV sequences amplified from leopard cats were identified as feline CoV. No spatial or temporal aggregation of protoparvovirus infection in leopard cats was found in the sampling area, indicating a wide distribution of protoparvoviruses in the leopard cat habitat. We consider sympatric domestic carnivores to be the probable primary reservoir for the identified pathogens. We strongly recommend management of protoparvoviruses and feline CoV in the leopard cat habitat, particularly vaccination programs and population control measures for free-roaming dogs and cats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A floristic survey of the Cactaceae family was carried out in the municipality of Santa Maria, Brazil, which is localized in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul state. The study was conducted between August 2017 and November 2018, during which time 14 species were recorded. Five species are on the endangered species list of Rio Grande do Sul. The threatened species are Echinopsis oxygona (Link) Zucc. Ex. Pfeiff. & Otto, Parodia horstii (F. Ritter) N.P. Taylor, Parodia glaucina (F. Ritter), Hofacker & M. Machado, Parodia linkii (Lehm.), R. Kiesling, and Parodia ottonis (Lehm.) N. P. Taylor. This paper presents a complete list of the species with reference to conservation status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the grey wolf (Canis lupus) was removed from the U.S. Endangered Species List in several states, management authority reverted to those states, and some promptly allowed regulated public hunting and/or trapping, with a few aggressively trying to reduce populations. European countries are also increasingly facing growing wolf numbers and an expanding distribution as well as pressure to control their populations while the species is protected by the European Commission's Habitats Directive. In the U.S., the abrupt change from total species protection to authorized public exploitation angered much of the public, fostered lawsuits resulting in wolf relisting, and engendered a movement for further protection. As governments such as those in the Pacific Northwest states gain experience managing wolves, they might need to consider the wishes of an increasing citizenry that desires more protection for wolves. While wolf management includes lethal control in some areas, zoning certain wild lands as wolf sanctuaries could be a useful approach for ensuring some protection. Areas in several U.S. states are discussed as examples of possible wolf sanctuaries that can potentially serve as models for sanctuaries in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While climate change and sea level rise threaten species across the globe, species in low-lying coastal regions, such as South Florida, are projected to face particularly severe threats. One such species is the Florida reef gecko (Sphaerodactylus notatus), the only gecko native to the eastern U.S., and a highly understudied species that persists in heavily fragmented habitats of only three coastal Florida counties. To assess the conservation status of this species, we conducted surveys throughout South Florida to determine potential extirpations from historic localities and to delimit S. notatus' current distribution. We also estimated the level of threat S. notatus faces from sea level rise relative to other species by analyzing sea level risk of all herpetofauna in the U.S. We detected geckos in only 41% of sites with appropriate habitat, and in only 65% of historic localities. Geckos were only present within 1.2 km from the coast, and the minimum 2.2 m of sea level rise already expected based on current carbon emissions will place 85% of suitable S. notatus habitat under water. Our findings were used to update the conservation risk of S. notatus according to IUCN and Florida guidelines for listing threatened and endangered species, and suggest this species now fits the criteria to warrant listing. In comparison to all other U.S. herpetofaunal species, we found that S. notatus is the most at risk from sea level rise due its fidelity to low-lying coastal habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The narrow pigtoe Fusconaia escambia is a freshwater mussel found only in the Escambia and Yellow river basins in northwest Florida and southern Alabama. The U.S. Endangered Species Act lists it as threatened. Like other freshwater mussels (Unionidae), its life cycle involves a larval stage (i.e., glochidial) in which most species are obligate parasites on the gills or fins of fishes. Knowledge of life history, population demographics, population genetics, and threats for the narrow pigtoe is lacking throughout its range, which impedes conservation of this species. Therefore, our objectives were to 1) compare historical and current distribution data using a conservation status assessment map, 2) determine period of gravidity, and 3) identify fish hosts. We used a conservation status assessment map to examine spatial and temporal changes in narrow pigtoe distribution and the possibility that the species has been extirpated from a subbasin (i.e., Hydrologic Unit Code level 10 watershed boundary; U.S. Geological Survey National Hydrography Dataset). We determined period of gravidity for the narrow pigtoe by examining the gills of mussels in the field, and considered peak gravidity to be the month in which we encountered the greatest number of gravid females. We determined fish hosts by infecting individuals of 18 fish species with glochidia in a laboratory setting. Overall, the narrow pigtoe appears to be maintaining stable populations in Florida, but researchers have conducted too few surveys in Alabama subbasins for us to fully assess its status throughout its range. Peak months of gravidity were May–July, with the greatest percentage of gravid females observed in May, although we observed them as early as 9 March and as late as 25 October. We identified nine fish species from five genera as hosts for narrow pigtoe, with Blacktail Shiner Cyprinella venusta and Weed Shiner Notropis texanus consistently producing the greatest number of viable juvenile mussels. Host and gravidity findings from this study will be useful if propagation efforts become necessary for conservation of the narrow pigtoe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the utilization of conservation easements for the protection of the Florida panther. Topics explored include the significant decline in Florida panther populations which led to its inclusion in the U.S. endangered species list, the placement of panther habitats on private lands under conservation easement to qualify for tax deductibility, and the definition of qualified conservation contribution according to the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (IRC).

The smalltail shark, Carcharhinus porosus, was the most abundant elasmobranch species in fisheries off Brazil's northern coast (BNC) in the 1980s, but its population has been declining since the 1990s. For this reason, a demographic analysis is necessary to determine the extent of this decline and the fishing effect on the BNC's population. Therefore, we performed a stochastic demographic analysis of the population in the BNC, and considered its global center of abundance. Smalltail shark specimens (n = 937) were collected with gillnets in Maranhão state, eastern BNC, in the 1980s with sizes ranging between 29.6 and 120.0 cm total length. Most of the individuals (90.6%) caught were juveniles (< 6 years-old), and the mortality and exploitation rates showed that the species was overexploited (92.3% above the fishing mortality corresponding to the population equilibrium threshold). The smalltail shark's biological characteristics, such as slow growth and low fecundity, demonstrate that it is one of the least resilient species among similar sized coastal sharks in the region. All these factors yielded an annual decrease of 28% in the intrinsic population growth rate, resulting in a population decline of more than 90% in only 10 years, and much higher for the current period. This set of features comprising fishing recruitment occurring upon juveniles, overfishing, and intrinsically low resilience make the population unable to sustain fishing pressure and severely hamper biological recruitment, thus causing this drastic population decline. Furthermore, several local extinctions for this species in the northeastern and southeastern regions of Brazil highlight its concerning conservation scenario. Therefore, since similar fisheries characteristics occur throughout its distribution range, C. porosus fits the criteria E of the IUCN Red List for a critically endangered species and urgent conservation measures are needed to prevent its extinction in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is responsible for reviewing the biological status of hundreds of species to determine federal status designations under the Endangered Species Act. The longleaf pine Pinus palustris ecological system supports many priority at-risk species designated for review, including five species of herpetofauna: gopher tortoise Gopherus polyphemus, southern hognose snake Heterodon simus, Florida pine snake Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus, gopher frog Lithobates (Rana) capito, and striped newt Notophthalmus perstriatus. To inform status decisions and conservation planning, we developed habitat suitability models to 1) identify habitat features that best predict species presence and 2) estimate the amount and distribution of suitable habitat across each species' range under current conditions. We incorporated expert judgment from federal, state, and other partners to capture variation in ecological settings across species' ranges, prioritize predictor variables to test in models, mitigate data limitations by informing the selection of pseudoabsence points, qualitatively evaluate model estimates, and improve the likelihood that experts will trust and use model predictions for conservation. Soil characteristics, land cover, and fire interval strongly influenced habitat suitability for all species. Suitable habitat was distributed on known species strongholds, as well as private lands without known species records. Between 4.7% (gopher frog) and 14.6% (gopher tortoise) of the area in a species' range was classified as suitable habitat, and between 28.1% (southern hognose snake) and 47.5% (gopher frog) of suitable habitat was located in patches larger than 1 km2 (100 ha) on publicly owned lands. By overlaying predictions for each species, we identified areas of suitable habitat for multiple species on protected and unprotected lands. These results have direct applications to management and conservation planning: partners can tailor site-level management based on attributes associated with high habitat suitability for species of concern; allocate survey effort in areas with suitable habitat but no known species records; and identify priority areas for management, land acquisitions, or other strategies based on the distribution of species records, suitable habitat, and land protection status. These results can aid regional partners in implementing effective conservation strategies and inform status designation decisions of the USFWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Billfish are oceanic pelagic species that are often caught by tuna fleets and are of great interest for sport fishing. Two species of billfish have specific legislation prohibiting their marketing and export in Brazil.DNA barcoding is a universal system of molecular identification based on a sequence of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI), which serves as a diagnostic genomic marker in each species.The barcode DNA technique was used to identify billfish marketed in the second largest fishing warehouse in Latin America, the CEAGESP (Companhia de Entrepostos e Armazéns Gerais de São Paulo), located in São Paulo, Brazil. Seventy‐nine samples of billfish were collected during three inspection visits carried out by Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis.After DNA sequencing, 70 samples (88.60%) were identified to the species level; 21 (30.00%) were identified as Xiphias gladius, 43 (61.42%) as Istiophorus platypterus and six (8.57%) as Kajikia albida. The sale of this latter species is prohibited in Brazil and it is considered Vulnerable on the list of endangered species of the IUCN and in the official list of species of endangered Fauna – Fish and Aquatic Invertebrates.Molecular analyses proved to be very efficient at uncovering irregularities in the identification of the white marlin (K. albida), which was traded illegally in CEAGESP, demonstrating the ineffectiveness of the current monitoring techniques used and emphasizing the need for the adoption of better public policies for the conservation of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproduction is key to species survival, and reproductive physiology represents a high priority investigative area for conservation biology, as it provides a basic understanding of critical life-history traits, information that is helpful for the establishment of management strategies. Here, we generated knowledge about the reproductive endocrinology of the hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus), a small canid (2.5–4 kg) endemic to open areas of the Brazilian Cerrado and listed in the Brazilian National List of Endangered species. Specifically, we utilized non-invasive hormone monitoring methods to assess oestrogen and progestagen metabolites from eight female hoary foxes housed in five zoological institutions in the state of São Paulo—Brazil. We observed the elevations of oestrogen and progestagen metabolites between July and September in six of the eight females. No significant evidence of ovarian activity was observed during other months. Two females, who shared the same enclosure, did not show a pattern of reproductive cyclicity. Based on these characteristics, we concluded that captive hoary foxes are seasonal monoestric, with the beginning of the oestrus cycle occurring mainly in July followed by 2 months of the luteal phase when conception does not occur. We suggest the dosage of faecal metabolites of estradiol and progesterone could be used to differentiate the reproductive period from a non-reproductive period in Lycalopex vetulus females, providing relevant information about their reproductive biology that may contribute to species conservation and management strategies, such as increased ex situ reproductive success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]