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Anthropogenic waterways and canal systems have been part of the cultural and natural landscape for thousands for years. As of the late 20th century, more than 63 000 km of canals exist worldwide as transport routes for navigation, many with barriers (e.g., locks, dams) that fragment the system and decrease connectivity. Fragmentation alone can have negative implications for freshwater biodiversity; by isolating populations and communities, other human-mediated disturbances associated with canals like poor water quality and invasive species can exacerbate these negative effects. As such, the capacity of these interconnected freshwater systems to support biodiversity is continuously degrading at a global level. One critical, highly complex issue that unites canals worldwide is the challenge of governing these systems in a holistic, unified way to both protect biodiversity and preserve historical elements. Managing historic canals involves multiple objectives across many agencies and stakeholders, often with different or conflicting objectives. Here, we use the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Historic Site of Canada, as a case study to demonstrate the importance of considering canals as social-ecological systems for effective and efficient governance. Historic canals are integrated systems of both humans (social) and the environment (ecological), linked by mutual feedbacks and coevolution, and must be managed as such to achieve conservation goals while maintaining commemorative integrity. We discuss the history of the Rideau Canal and its current governance, biodiversity in the waterway, different threats and issues (user conflicts, aquatic pollution, shoreline development, water management, species at risk, and invasive species), and conclude by outlining ways to address the challenges of managing it as a coupled social-ecological system. We present different research needs and opportunities that would enable better management, though above all, we propose a shift from the current governance structure--which at best can be considered 'patchwork'--to a coordinated, multi-scalar and multi-stakeholder governance regime such that the Rideau Canal can be maintained for its historical integrity without compromising biodiversity conservation. Given that canals are now pervasive worldwide, this article is not only topical to the Rideau Canal, but also to other waterways in Canada and beyond. Key words: social-ecological system, adaptive governance, resilience, biodiversity conservation, aquatic connectivity. Les voies navigables et les systemes de canaux anthropiques font partie du paysage culturel et naturel depuis des milliers d'annees. a la fin du 20 (e) siecle, plus de 63 000 km de canaux existent dans le monde comme voies de transport pour la navigation, dont beaucoup comportent des barrieres (par exemple, des ecluses, des barrages) qui fragmentent le systeme et reduisent la connectivite. La fragmentation a elle seule peut avoir des repercussions negatives sur la biodiversite des eaux douces; en isolant les populations et les communautes, d'autres perturbations d'origine humaine associees aux canaux, comme la mauvaise qualite de l'eau et la presence d'especes envahissantes, peuvent exacerber ces effets negatifs. Ainsi, la capacite de ces systemes d'eau douce interconnectes a soutenir la biodiversite se degrade continuellement a l'echelle mondiale. Un probleme crucial et tres complexe qui unit les canaux a travers le monde est le defi de gerer ces systemes de maniere holistique et unifiee afin de proteger la biodiversite et de preserver les elements historiques. La gestion des canaux historiques implique des objectifs multiples entre de nombreuses agences et parties prenantes, qui ont souvent des objectifs differents ou contradictoires. Les auteurs utilisent ici le canal Rideau, site du patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO et site historique national du Canada, comme etude de cas pour demontrer l'importance de considerer les canaux comme des systemes socioecologiques pour une gouvernance efficace et efficiente. Les canaux historiques sont des systemes integres a la fois de l'humain (social) et de l'environnement (ecologique), lies par des retroactions mutuelles et une coevolution, et ils doivent etre geres comme tels pour atteindre les objectifs de conservation tout en maintenant leur integrite commemorative. Les auteurs discutent de l'histoire du canal Rideau et de sa gouvernance actuelle, de la biodiversite de la voie navigable, des differentes menaces et preoccupations (conflits entre utilisateurs, pollution aquatique, amenagement des rives, gestion de l'eau, especes en peril et especes envahissantes), et ils concluent en decrivant des moyens de relever les defis de sa gestion en tant que systeme socioecologique couple. Ils presentent differents besoins et possibilites de recherche qui permettraient une meilleure gestion, mais surtout, ils proposent de passer de la structure de gouvernance actuelle--qui, au mieux, peut etre consideree comme une << mosaique >>--a un regime de gouvernance coordonne, multiscalaire, et multiacteurs, de sorte que le canal Rideau puisse etre maintenu dans son integrite historique sans compromettre la conservation de la biodiversite. Puisque les canaux sont desormais omnipresents dans le monde entier, cet article n'est pas seulement d'actualite pour le canal Rideau, mais aussi pour d'autres voies navigables au Canada et ailleurs dans le monde. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : systeme socioecologique, gouvernance adaptative, resilience, conservation de la biodiversite, connectivite aquatique., Introduction For thousands of years, humans have modified natural waterways (e.g., lakes, rivers) and created others where they did not exist. The first canals constructed were done so by Mesopotamians [...]

Little is known about the current state of freshwater biodiversity in Canada, one of the countries with the greatest amount of surface waters in the world. To address this knowledge gap, we compiled a list of all available assessments of conservation status for freshwater species (over 3000 taxa) and further evaluated the overall status of six distinct taxonomic groups, focusing on organisms reliant on fresh waters (i.e., aquatic plants, invertebrates (with a focus on freshwater mussels), fishes, herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians), birds, and mammals). Overall, 11.7% of all freshwater species of plants and animals assessed were found to be 'at risk' (i.e., listed as 'Threatened', 'Endangered', or 'Extirpated') and 17.9% identified as 'Special Concern'. We found that 37.9% of species lacked sufficient data to enable their status to be assessed. Data gaps in Canada's assessment of its freshwater species were most prevalent in invertebrates (excluding freshwater mussels). Given the alarming state of freshwater biodiversity in Canada, we conclude by providing recommendations that focus on evaluating temporal trends and informing conservation actions. Les connaissances sur l'etat actuel de la biodiversite des especes d'eau douce au Canada, un des pays disposant de la plus grande quantite d'eau de surface au monde, sont limitees. Pour examiner cette lacune, nous avons compile une liste de toutes les evaluations disponibles du statut de conservation d'especes d'eau douce (plus de 3000 taxons) et evalue en outre le statut global de six groupes taxonomiques distincts, en mettant l'accent sur les organismes dependant des eaux douces (c.-a-d., les plantes aquatiques, les invertebres (plus particulierement les mulettes), les poissons, l'herpetofaune (reptiles et amphibiens), les oiseaux et les mammiferes). Globalement, 11,7 % de toutes les especes d'eau douce de plantes et d'animaux evaluees sont << en peril >> (c.-a-d., designees << menacees >>, << en voie de disparition >> ou << disparue au pays >>) et 17,9 % ont un statut de conservation << preoccupant >>. Nous constatons que les donnees disponibles sont insuffisantes pour permettre l'evaluation du statut de 37,9 % des especes. Le groupe des invertebres (a l'exception des mulettes) est celui pour lequel la prevalence des cas de manque de donnees pour l'evaluation d'especes d'eau douce au Canada est la plus grande. Au vu de l'etat alarmant de la biodiversite des especes d'eau douce au Canada, nous concluons en formulant des recommandations qui mettent l'accent sur l'evaluation des tendances dans le temps et la production de donnees pour eclairer les mesures de conservation. [Traduit par la Redaction], 1.0. Introduction Despite occupying less than 1% of the Earth's surface, the freshwater biome is home to 12% of all described species, including as much as one third of all [...]

Captive breeding programs are widely applied by conservation practitioners as a means of conserving, reintroducing, and supplementing populations of imperilled freshwater fishes and mussels. We conducted a systematic map to provide an overview of the existing literature on the effectiveness of captive breeding and release programs. A key finding is that there is limited evaluation of the effectiveness of such programs at all three stages (i.e., broodstock collection, rearing/ release methods, and post-release monitoring). We identified clusters of evidence for evaluating supplementation associated with rearing/release methods for fish growth and survival metrics, and the monitoring stage for fish genetic diversity, growth, and survival metrics, primarily focused on salmonids. However, many studies had inadequate experimental designs (i.e., lacked a comparator). Overall, there was a paucity of studies on the effectiveness of captive breeding programs for imperilled freshwater mussels, highlighting the need to make such information broadly available when studies are undertaken. Outputs from this systematic map (i.e., the map database and heatmaps) suggest that the effectiveness of captive breeding and release programs requires further systematic evaluation. Des programmes de reproduction en captivite sont largement utilises par les specialistes de la conservation comme moyen de conservation, de reintroduction et de supplementation de populations menacees de poissons d'eau douce et de mulettes. Nous avons realise une cartographie systematique pour dresser un portrait du corpus documentaire existant sur l'efficacite des programmes de reproduction en captivite et de lacher. Une des constatations cles est le fait que revaluation de l'efficacite des trois etapes de tels programmes (c.-a-d., prelevement de geniteurs, methodes d'elevage/de lacher et surveillance apres le lacher) est limitee. Nous avons cerne des groupements de donnees probantes pour les evaluations de la supplementation associees aux methodes d'elevage/de lacher pour des parametres relies a la croissance et la survie des poissons, et l'etape de surveillance pour des parametres relies a la diversite genetique, la croissance et la survie des poissons, axes principalement sur les salmonides. Le schema experimental de nombreuses etudes est toutefois inadequat (c.-a-d., absence de comparateur). Globalement, les etudes sur l'efficacite des programmes de reproduction en captivite pour les mulettes menacees sont rares, soulignant la necessite d'assurer une large disponibilite de ce type d'information quand de telles etudes sont realisees. Les extrants de cette cartographie systematique (c.-a-d., la base de donnees en decoulant et les cartes de densite) font ressortir la necessite d'une evaluation systematique plus poussee de l'efficacite de programmes de reproduction en captivite et de lacher. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Global freshwater biodiversity has declined by over 80% since the 1970s, to the point where it is clearly in crisis (Harrison et al. 2018). Freshwater fishes have some of [...]

Regulated waterways, interconnected by navigation barriers (locks and dams), are uniquely difficult to manage, given interest in enabling native species connectivity while minimizing invasions. Canada's historic Rideau Canal Waterway, a 202 km navigable route located in eastern Ontario and connected by 24 lockstations, embodies this challenge. The lock(s) and water-control dam that compose each lockstation may respectively offer a connectivity pathway, though to what extent is unclear. We used acoustic telemetry (native largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans) and northern pike (Esox lucius), and invasive common carp (Cyprinus carpio); n = 224) to evaluate fish connectivity relative to lock operations and environmental data over three years (2019–2021). Thirty-five passages by 23 native fishes were recorded, with 49% of passages through locks. No common carp passages were detected; movements indicate that they favour higher flow areas downstream of dams, regions with no pathway upstream. Most passages were downstream and, of concern to obligate upstream migrators, we found that multi-flight and higher-lift locks appear impassable to upstream movements. Our results suggest that these lockstations limit, but not entirely restrict, connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humans are now recognized as the main drivers of environmental change, leaving the future ofour planet dependent on human action or inaction. Although the outlook of our planet is often depicted in a 'doom and gloom' manner due to recent troubling environmental trends, we suggest that a 'good Anthropocene' (in which human quality of life may be maintained or improved without cost to the environment) is attainable if we engage in adaptive, multi-disciplinary actions capable of addressing the socio-ecological issues of today and tomorrow. Early-career conservation scientists and practitioners have an unmatched understanding of novel technologies and social connectivity and, as those left with the ever-growing responsibility to be the problem solvers of the attributed increasing environmental consequences of living in the Anthropocene, their perspectives on steps towards a good Anthropocene are valuable. Here we present a list of 20 actions derived by early-career conservation scientists and practitioners for conservationists to help achieve a good Anthropocene that utilize the social connectivity and technology of today. Central to these actions are the notions that multi-, inter-, and trans-disciplinary collaboratives that embrace diverse world views need to be integrated into decision-making processes; training and outreach platforms need to communicate both environmental challenges and solutions broadly; and conservation successes need to be acknowledged and disseminated in a forward-looking, adaptive capacity. Together the 20 actions identified here reinforce the underlying paradigm shift that must accompany living in the Anthropocene, given that biodiversity and healthy ecosystems are requisite for sustained human life. By sharing this list of actions, we look to promote positive socio-environmental changes towards the collective goal of achieving a good Anthropocene. Key words: Anthropocene, positive futures, early-career researchers. On reconnait maintenant que les etres humains sont les principaux responsables des changements environnementaux, laissant l'avenir de notre planete dependant de l'action ou de l'inaction humaine. Meme si les perspectives de notre planete sont souvent depeintes de maniere pessimiste a cause des recentes tendances environnementales inquietantes, les auteurs suggerent qu'un <> (dans lequel la qualite de vie des humains peut etre maintenue ou amelioree sans cout environnemental) est atteignable si nous nous engageons dans des actions adaptatives multidisciplinaires capables de s'attaquer aux problemes socioecologiques d'aujourd'hui et de demain. Les scientifiques et les praticiens de la conservation en debut de carriere ont une comprehension sans precedent des nouvelles technologies et de la connectivite sociale et, en tant que personnes a qui l'on confie la responsabilite de plus en plus lourde d'agir comme solutionneurs de problemes en ce qui a trait aux consequences environnementales croissantes que l'on attribue a vivre dans l'Anthropocene, leurs perspectives sur les etapes conduisant a un bon Anthropocene sont precieuses. Les auteurs presentent ici une liste de 20 actions proposees par des scientifiques et des praticiens de la conservation en debut de carriere a l'intention des agents de protection de l'environnement pour les aider a atteindre un bon Anthropocene par l'utilisation de la connectivite sociale et de la technologie d'aujourd'hui. Au coeur de ces actions se trouvent des notions : de collaborations multi-, inter- et transdisciplinaires qui epousent diverses conceptions du monde qui doivent etre integrees aux processusde prisede decision;de plateformes de formation et dediffusion necessaires pour communiquer largement les defis et les solutions en matiere d'environnement; et de succes en matiere de conservation qui doivent etre reconnus et dissemines dans la perspective d'une capacite d'adaptation tournee vers l'avenir. L'ensemble des 20 actions identifiees ici renforcent le changement de paradigme sous-jacent qui doit accompagner la vie dans l'Anthropocene, puisque la biodiversite et des ecosystemes en sante sont necessaires au developpement humain durable. En partageant cette liste d'actions, les auteurs desirent promouvoir des changements socio-environnementaux positifs vers l'objectif collectif d'atteindre un bon Anthropocene. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : Anthropocene, avenir prometteur, chercheurs en debut de carriere., Introduction Human actions have led planet Earth into the Anthropocene epoch (Crutzen and Stoermer 2000). Humans are now recognized as a predominant agent of ecosystem change on the planet, exemplified [...]

Diatom assemblages are excellent indicators for environmental monitoring. However, enumerating diatoms using fine-level taxonomy takes considerable effort, which must be undertaken by specialist taxonomists. One alternative is to enumerate assemblages using morphological traits. In this study, we compared the accuracy of models using 20 morphological traits with those using species assemblages to infer lake water pH, salinity, depth, and total phosphorus concentrations in four data sets, each comprising over 200 lakes. Assemblages aggregated by trait combinations were used to predict environmental variables via weighted averaging regressions, and richness of trait combinations was regressed against the environmental variables. Trait-based weighted averaging regressions showed slightly lower accuracy than species-level analyses and higher accuracy than analyses at the family and sometimes genus level. Richness of trait combinations showed relationships with pH, salinity, and lake depth that were marginally stronger than relationships using species richness. Although species-level analyses are the best approach when time and budgets allow, we suggest that trait combinations could provide an alternative method for water quality assessment programs, where funds do not allow the use of specialist taxonomists or where diatoms are being used as part of a multi-indicator analysis. Les assemblages de diatomees sont d'excellents indicateurs pour la surveillance de l'environnement. Le denombrement de diatomees reposant sur leur taxinomie fine requiert des efforts considerables par des specialistes en taxinomie. Une autre option consiste a denombrer les assemblages sur la base de caracteres morphologiques. Nous comparons l'exactitude de modeles reposant sur 20 caracteres morphologiques a ceux reposant sur des assemblages d'especes pour inferer le pH, la salinite, la profondeur et les concentrations de phosphore total d'eau de lac pour quatre ensembles de donnees englobant tous plus de 200 lacs. Des assemblages regroupes par combinaisons de caracteres sont utilises pour predire les valeurs de variables environnementales a l'aide de regressions utilisant des moyennes ponderees, et une regression de la richesse des combinaisons de caracteres en fonction des variables environnementales est effectuee. Les regressions utilisant des moyennes ponderees basees sur les caracteres presentent une exactitude legerement plus faible que les analyses au niveau de l'espece et une plus grande exactitude que les analyses au niveau de la famille et, parfois, du genre. La richesse des combinaisons de caracteres presente des relations avec le pH, la salinite et la profondeur du lac qui sont legerement plus fortes que les relations qui utilisent la richesse specifique. Bien que les analyses au niveau de l'espece constituent la meilleure approche quand le temps et le budget le permettent, nous suggerons que les combinaisons de caracteres peuvent constituer une methode de rechange pour les programmes d'evaluation de la qualite de l'eau quand les fonds disponibles ne permettent pas le recours a des specialistes en taxinomie ou quand les diatomees sont utilisees dans le cadre d'une analyse reposant sur des indicateurs multiples. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Diatom (Bacillariophyceae) assemblages are particularly useful bioindicators of several important environmental variables and are frequently analyzed from sediment cores to infer past conditions (Smol and Stoermer 2010). However, their [...]

Ecosystems experiencing pressures are at risk of rapidly transitioning ("tipping") from one state to another. Identifying and managing these so-called tipping points continue to be a challenge in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, particularly when multiple potentially interacting drivers are present. Knowledge of tipping points, the mechanisms that cause them, and their implications for management practices are evolving, but often in isolation within specific ecological realms. Here, we summarize current knowledge of tipping points in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial realms and provide a multi-realm perspective of the challenges and opportunities for applying this knowledge to ecosystem management. We brought together conservation practitioners and global experts in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial tipping points and identified seven challenges that environmental policymakers and managers contend with including (1) predictability, (2) spatiotemporal scales, (3) interactions, (4) reversibility, (5) socio-ecological context, (6) complexity and heterogeneity, and (7) selecting appropriate action. We highlight opportunities for cross-scalar and cross-realm knowledge production and provide recommendations for enabling the management of tipping points. Although knowledge of tipping points is imperfect, we stress the need to continue working toward incorporating tipping points perspectives in environmental management across all realms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of protected areas is a cornerstone of conservation, but permanent protection could be inefficient or even impossible in some situations. We synthesized the literature on temporarily conserved areas (TCAs) across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. We used a comprehensive search string to retrieve peer‐reviewed articles published from 2000 to 2021 from the Web of Science. We identified 27 relevant peer‐reviewed articles that examined the potential benefits of TCAs in the study area, indicating TCA is a relatively understudied area of research in the peer‐reviewed literature. The TCA studies were highly clustered; 77% of studies focused on protecting a single life stage of migratory species and 61% of studies related to temporary conservation of breeding or staging habitats for migratory birds. Ninety‐three percent of studies focused on preventing human‐driven threats, mainly on public lands of coastal areas, the Great Plains, and the Mississippi Valley in the central United States. Short‐term and experimental studies were the dominant study types. TCAs have the potential to complement permanently protected areas and provide protection when permanent protection is difficult. Some included studies examined their conservation value, but the ecological, social, and economic outcomes of TCAs are unclear. More TCA research is needed to determine the role they could play in conservation worldwide. Embracing the concept of TCAs as conservation tool could lead to more comprehensive and consistent reporting of the outcomes of temporary area‐based conservation measures. However, a global review and analysis of effectiveness of TCAs will be required if they are to play a formal role in meeting international targets for biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]