Identifying factors that influence human-wildlife conflicts is essential to the management of these interactions. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) come into conflict with humans and these conflicts may become more frequent as the bears spend more time on land due to climate warming induced sea ice loss. To reduce human-bear conflicts, polar bears near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, are deterred from human

As part of the Mapping Asia Plants (MAP) project, floristic works for Northeast Asia (i.e., China, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, and Mongolia) have been surveyed and compared. From the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th century, most floristic research in Northeast Asia was performed by European nations. Since then, local botanists have directed the course of floristic research. Although a "Flora

The littoral ecotone between land and lake makes an important part of the lake ecosystem which provide essential ecosystem services for human society. In this paper, the littoral wetland zone of Balagasi Lakeshore, Inner Mongolia, China and steppe being adjacent to was taken as the research object to discuss the characteristics of bacterial diversity and community structure in non-rhizosphere soils

Introduced grasses are a major threat to dryland ecosystems world-wide because of their ability to transform plant communities and change fire regimes. These structural and functional shifts are often assumed to impact wildlife but this has rarely been measured directly. Likewise, evaluation of weed removal programs rarely considers benefits to fauna, thereby limiting information that could inform

Knowledge about within-species variation in stomatal frequency with varying elevation at very high elevations is rare, which is crucial for us to understand how alpine plants are adapted to the extreme environment. Here, we focus on the variation in stomatal frequency in Kobresia royleana (Nees) Boeckeler (Cyperaceae, Cyperales) along two altitudinal transects (elevation ranges from 3,723 m to 5,081

Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don is an endangered perennial herb which has important medicinal properties. Because of its wide distribution and complex morphology, numerous closely related species were suggested to be F. cirrhosa, also due to obscure differences between species. These species, however, are also increasingly endangered due to overexploitation. So far, there are few systematic studies on

• Glyphosate-based herbicides are widely used in Canadian silviculture to control competing vegetation, particularly broadleaf plants, and non-target, understory plants are often exposed to sub-lethal doses. Understory plants such as red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and highbush cranberry (Viburnum edule) play many integral ecological roles, which may be altered by glyphosate. • To determine the effects

Trade-driven killing for body parts has long been a major cause of population decline for a number of big cat species. There are now worrying suggestions that commercialised illegal trade in body parts might become a threat for wild lions in Africa, and recent concerns have been raised that trade in captive-bred lion skeletons from South Africa may have stimulated demand for lion bones, claws, and

Analysis of the correlation between vegetation greenness and climate variable trends is important in the study of vegetation greenness. Our study used Normalized Difference Vegetation Index-3rd generation data from the Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometer - Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies (AVHRR-GIMMS NDVI3g), land cover data from the Climate Change Initiative (CCI-LC), and climate

Camera traps have become a popular sampling tool in ecological studies. This is especially true for studies that estimate population densities through spatial capture-recapture models of species with physical traits allowing individual identification. However, misidentification is a potential problem when trying to identify individuals from photographs. Researchers need rigorous methods for checking

Human-carnivore encounters are common where humans and wild carnivores share the same landscape. The frequency of such encounters gives insight regarding carnivore density and might correlate with human-carnivore conflict incidences. We interviewed livestock owners in the eastern Serengeti ecosystem and recorded reported carnivore presence and relative abundance. We simultaneously conducted a carnivore

Forest thinning is often used as a strategy to augment water supply by decreasing stand evapotranspiration. To study the influence of such thinning on the water balance of a Larch (Larix principis-upprechtii Mayr.) plantation in the water-limited Loess Plateau of Northwest China, this study analyzed the components of the stand water balance after thinning during an extremely wet and dry year using

Climate change and biodiversity loss underscore the need for conservation planning, even in remote areas. Species distribution models (SDMs) can help identify critical habitat for reserve design and selection, and have quickly advanced to the fore of ecological inquiry. Such models are typically dominated by abiotic factors, following the Eltonian Noise Hypothesis (ENH) that physical features set the

Protected areas (PAs) are a key strategy in global efforts to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services that are critical for human well-being. Most PAs have some built-up structures within their boundaries or in surrounding areas, ranging from individual buildings to villages, towns and cities. These structures, and the associated human activities, can exert direct and indirect pressures on PAs

Group size of gregarious ungulates typically are fluid and may be density dependent. Local people in Yukon, Canada, were concerned that increasing abundance of reintroduced bison (Bison bison) would result in larger groups, leading to increased human-bison conflicts (e.g., property damage, environmental impacts, and aggressive behaviour). Yet, the influence of abundance on group sizes was unknown.

The phytosociological attributes of woody species were investigated along an altitudinal gradient in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. Detailed sampling was carried out in five altitudinal zones (from 1550 to 3550 m asl). A total of 81 woody species, including 33 trees (28 genera and 22 families) and 48 shrub species (39 genera and 24 families) were reported. Density ranged from 150 ± 19 trees/ha (Zone

Although channelized urban streams provide aesthetic and economic value, they reduce biodiversity and alter the habitats of aquatic organisms. Spur dikes not only prevent the erosion of riverbanks, but also generally improve aquatic habitats. River 2D is widely used to analyze the aquatic habitats. However, the model often faces a challenge of lacking sediment and riverbed evolution module, which is

As a solitary species, giant pandas do not frequently vocalize. However, they make significantly more vocalizations during the breeding season, implying that vocalizations are essential for coordinating their reproduction and expression of mating preference. Previous studies have also shown that giant panda vocalizations are correlated with mating results and reproduction. This paper makes the first

How and why biodiversity varies along the elevational gradients is fundamental yet controversial topics in ecology. To advance our understanding on these questions and provide insight into biological conservation, we explore the elevational patterns of vascular plant richness and their drivers in the Gyirong Valley, the longest valley in China’s Himalayas. Elevational richness patterns of vascular

At present, the establishment of a natural protected area system with national parks as the main subject has attracted widespread attention from all corners of Chinese society. Eco-compensation mechanism is an important institutional guarantee for the construction of China’s system for natural protected areas. However, the current research over eco-compensation policies for China’s national parks and

Identifying fish spawning areas is of great ecological and conservation importance as fishes are suffering increasing threats levels from anthropogenic activities. However, to date very few studies have done so in the Amazon basin. In the Beni River located in the upper Madeira basin, fishers reported that a particular ecotone near Rurrenabaque city was a fish reproduction area. To test the importance

Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and N:P stoichiometry have been proposed as an index to assess plant nutrient limitation in grassland. The alpine grasslands in Tibet were investigated to evaluate the relationships between N, P, N:P ratio and vegetation biomass and species biodiversity by comparing free grazing (FG) and grazing exclusion (GE) grasslands. Grazing exclusion had no significant effect on

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) plays a key role in enhancing resistance to plant stress and diseases, thus improving soil structure. To better understand the effects of coal mining subsidence and mining-after transplanted trees on soil AMF diversity, this study, using spore isolation as well as identification and high-throughput sequencing techniques, analysed the AMF composition and diversity

The renewal of temperate coniferous forests has a high impact on the global climate, as well as the survival of forest wildlife. As an important native afforestation tree species in northern China, Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris L. var. mongolica Litv.) is facing the dilemma of severe regeneration and forest growth. External factors, such as natural disturbances or human intervention, may affect

Studying the germination niches of a diverse array of species at the community level can offer insight into the parameters that govern the structure of these communities. To date, however, few studies have sought to identify determinants of species germination window. As such, we estimated germination niche breadth (GNB) for 476 angiosperm species found in the eastern Tibetan Plateau grasslands under

Weed biodiversity plays a key role in supporting food webs and ecosystem services in agroecosystems. One important service, that reduces weed abundance, is the predation of weed seeds by invertebrates and vertebrates. In this context weed biodiversity may be supportive in maintaining seed predator prevalence. This however, can be highly influenced by farming systems. In the present study we examined

While the emerging amphibian disease chytridiomycosis is causing dramatic and ongoing biodiversity losses worldwide, sustainable strategies to mitigate this global threat to amphibians are currently missing. We here propose a conceptual framework for a novel biological mitigation strategy based on the increasing evidence that naturally-occurring micropredators, such as protists, rotifers and crustaceans

China has a long history of planting ginkgo trees, and there are many large old ginkgo trees in rural and urban areas of China. Those large old ginkgo trees have aesthetic and cultural values and play an important role in regulating landscape and ecological functions. However, the geographical distribution and its determinants of large old ginkgo trees in China are still unexplored. In this study,

Understanding sociality and animal behavior is critical for developing effective conservation strategies. Many tropical bat species form harems, where dominant males play key social roles by defending groups of females directly (female-defense polygyny) or the resources that females need (resource-defense polygyny). The Florida bonneted bat (Eumops floridanus) is an endangered subtropical species suspected

Reproductive plant phenology, such as the seasonal timing of flowering or fruiting, influences many aspects of tropical forest communities, but there are few studies examining potential drivers of phenological patterns, especially in south China. We explored phenological patterns in Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park (HNNP) in China and their major climatic and biotic drivers, based on phenological

Human disturbance represents a considerable challenge for the conservation of living organisms and has profound negative impacts globally. There is substantial variation in how species respond to human disturbance. The main aim of the present study is to examine how human activities influence the risk of brood parasitism and nest predation for three passerine species living in a highly fragmented landscape

Changes in future climate will have an important impact on biodiversity. Taiwania cryptomerioides has important scientific value for the study of paleogeography, paleoclimate and paleobotany. Based on the environmental data and future scenarios provided by previous studies, the present and future suitable habitat for Taiwania cryptomerioides was modeled, and the significance of environmental factors

The Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site has been facing increasing pressure of habitat destruction. Yet, no study has been conducted to test how human disturbances are affecting plant-pollinator interactions in this unique ecosystem. Hence, we aimed to provide the first insight into the impact of habitat loss and human disturbances on the pollinator

Despite the prominent role of spiders in most ecosystems, these invertebrates are still notably endangered as well as underrepresented in current conservation efforts. We sent a survey to spider experts and enthusiasts belonging to arachnological societies across the globe to determine the general consensus on globally relevant threats to spiders as well as the most relevant conservation measures.

Neonicotinoids are one of the most widely used classes of insecticides in the world. The neonicotinoid imidacloprid is commonly applied to hemlock (Tsuga spp.) stands in eastern North America to reduce tree mortality from infestations of the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA; Adelges tsugae). While laboratory and mesocosm studies have determined that imidacloprid can bioaccumulate in anurans and

The expansion of protected area (PA) networks is necessary for countries and territories worldwide to conserve biodiversity, protect natural ecosystems and achieve sustainable development. However, challenges remain in expanding the PA network effectively, especially in regard to addressing priority conservation areas and balancing social development and ecological conservation. These problems are

Sea turtle populations are declining and evidence-based methods for supporting their populations are required. Captive breeding and release programs can be effective, offering the opportunity to supplement nature populations; however, sea turtles require specific conditions to successfully breed. Here, we present insights gained from a 12 year Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) captive breeding

Managing climate impacts to natural resources in protected areas can be hampered by lack of monitoring data, poor understanding of natural resource responses to climate, or lack of timely condition assessments that can inform management actions. Here we demonstrate the utility of water balance as a tool for understanding natural resource responses to climate by developing case studies focused on stream

This research was carried out in a tissue culture study to analyze the impact of silicon dioxide nanoparticles on growth, photosynthesis and protective enzymes of a bamboo species (Arundinaria pygmaea) under three various heavy metal stresses (copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and cadmium (Cd)). The treatments consisted of four concentrations of heavy metals (50, 100, 200, 400 μM) in combination with 100

Poyang Lake is an internationally important wintering ground for waterbirds. Since the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) began operations, the lake’s hydrological regime has been changed, which may influence the growth of submerged plants and increase the risk of food shortages for wintering waterbirds. We explored the effect of hydrological regime change in Poyang Lake on food abundance for herbivorous waterbirds

The biodiversity of the bycatch community in tuna longline fisheries has historically been under-studied. In this study, observer data from 9744 sets of Chinese tuna longline fisheries were used to estimate the biodiversity of the bycatch by applying alpha diversity measures, and their habitat preference was predicted with the Generalized Additive Model. A total of 98 bycatch species were observed

Soil total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in estuarine areas show distinct heterogeneities in horizontal and vertical distributions due to complex influencing factors, and clarifying the horizontal and vertical distributions and their influencing factors is of great significance. In this study, the eastern Chongming Island in the Yangtze River estuary in China was selected as the study

Founder genetic composition can affect reintroduction success, especially as the number of animals released tends to be small and therefore less genetically diverse than their source populations. Numerous translocations and reinforcements of beavers, Castor fiber, have occurred with little regard to geographic and/or genetic origin. Beaver reintroduction to Britain has been haphazard and currently

The Kangchenjunga Landscape, an important repository of biodiversity, faces several challenges owing to various drivers of change. Human‒wildlife conflict (HWC) is one of such issue that transcends social, economic, environmental, as well as national and international borders among the three participating countries – Bhutan, India, and Nepal – making it a complex, transboundary issue. Based on the

Recent declines in large herbivores have led to significant conservation efforts globally. However, the niche-specific megaherbivores residing outside protected areas face more imminent extinction threats. Swamp deer, the obligate grassland-dwelling endemic cervid is the most extinction-prone megaherbivore in the Indian subcontinent. Limited information on distribution and habitat status pose significant

The Songhua River Basin is one of the main grain-producing areas in China, and local climate change has had a direct impact on grain production during the past several decades. This study focused on changes in mean and extreme climate conditions in the Songhua River Basin during the period 1961–2014. We founded that the precipitation decreased slightly over most of the basin; however, an increasing

North Asia – the Asian part of Russia – is a vast territory that occupies 1/3 of Asia, or about 13 100 000 sq. km. Floristic exploration of North Asia was bolstered in the first half of the 18th century when the emperor Peter I the Great founded the Academy of Sciences (currently, the Russian Academy of Sciences). The first complete flora of the Russian Empire was published in the middle of the 19th

The Formosan sika deer was declared extinct in the wild in Taiwan around 1969. In 1994, a series of reintroductions was initiated in Taiwan’s Kenting National Park. Today a wild population is established in the core area of the Park, and even continues to expand. Between October 2016 to March 2018, we used Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to survey the herd composition of the sika deer in the Shuiwaku

Theoretical and empirical studies have addressed predator-prey relationships, but the relevance of individual prey species, prey species richness and environment on the niche and the distribution of specialist predators have been scarcely tested with a macroecological approach. Here we aim to analyze the niche and spatial distribution of the Magellanic woodpecker (MWP; Campephilus magellanicus), a

Understanding the relationships between giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and their sympatric species is an important component in their conservation. In this study we evaluate the impact of sympatric species with three ranges of body size on the distribution and habitat selection of giant panda. We surveyed giant panda and their sympatric species occurrences by camera trapping and field survey

Perception towards the wildlife conservation of locals determines the future of conservation programs, hence we assessed the perception of forest communities in East Siang district towards wildlife conservation in their surroundings. We collected questionnaire data from 1079 respondents of East Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh during Nov 2018 to Feb 2019. The influence of different parameters including

Global raptor conservation depends on non-governmental conservation organizations (NGCOs) and, fundamentally, members of those organizations. But while NGCOs declare a central mission, their membership may be more varied. This can pose a challenge to a NGCO in terms of developing programs and advocacy that reflects its membership’s preference and likelihood of support. Systematic assessment of members’

Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is one of the most highly threatened fauna of fresh water ecosystems in the world. Yet, information about the species habitat characteristics influencing its distribution and threats to its existence are still lacking in Nepal. This study identified the most important habitat characteristics associated with gharial presence and existing threats in the Rapti River of Nepal

The new bamboo shoots do not generate leaves during the explosive growth period. Thus, they cannot perform photosynthesis during this period. The water use profile and control mechanism of water transport during the explosive growth period of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) shoots are still unclear. This study applied thermal dissipate probe (TDP) technology for monitoring the sap flow rate (Fs)

The Ascotán salt pan is an extreme freshwater system in the Southern Altiplano of Chile (17°-22°S). Its origin has been traced to the presence of the paleolake Minchin approximately 0.0117 Ma. Currently, this system has been experiencing important changes such as seasonal temperature increase, higher water evaporation and water depletion. The eastern side of the Ascotán salt pan is conformed by twelve

Continuous exposure to human activity has led to considerable behavioural changes in some wildlife populations. Animals are more likely to survive in a changing environment by adjusting their behaviour to repeatedly occurring but harmless stimulations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, starting in late 2019, face masks were recommended to the public to prevent the spread of pathogens. In this context,