This study attempts to analyze Japan’s pricing policy alternatives for protected area management by assessing the general public’s preferences through best–worst scaling. Through best–worst scaling, researchers can quantitatively understand people’s preferences with fewer burdens. The conditional logit model showed that the mean response of the respondents placed a relatively high value on strategies

Macaronesian islands display a high degree of plant endemicity and correspond to some of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots due to several human driven impacts such as habitat loss, invasive species, overexploitation or climate change. The conservation status of the largest of the two known population of Musschia isambertoi M. Seq., R. Jardim, Magda Silva and L. Carvalho (Campanulaceae) was

In recent decades, research on ecosystem services and ecological compensation has increasingly become a focal area in ecological research in the face of the degrading ecological environment. Recently, some institutions and studies have paid attention to ecosystem services and ecological compensation at World Heritage (WH) sites. However, no comprehensive literature review has covered ecosystem services

The decline of numerous bird species worldwide has been attributed to increased nest predation pressure often associated with anthropogenic factors. Identifying effective management strategies to reduce nest predation is therefore a conservation priority, but tests of management strategies often lack appropriate control treatments. Conditioned Food Aversion (CFA) is a non-lethal method of predator

The Mongolian plateau is a hotspot for mammals and a perfect environment for nomadic herding. The long-term co-existence with the local wildlife is nowadays threatened by a recent drastic increase of livestock numbers, and associated modifications in the ecosystems. Official hunting and livestock data were used to understand historical links between certain selected species (grey wolf, red fox, corsac

This study presents examples of successful restoration projects for biodiversity conservation. In West France, the Pinail National Nature Reserve is a protected wetland interspersed with more than 6000 ponds. This wetland is inhabited by 50 species of Odonata and thus is a key biodiversity area for damselflies and dragonflies conservation. In the past, when the limestone was exploited, the streams

Ecologists and wildlife managers require useful tools to reduce the human-wildlife conflict. So far, little attention has been paid to the damage caused by avian nesting on man-made structures. We weighed 145 occupied nests of the white stork (Ciconia ciconia) in eastern Poland and applied general linear models (multiple regressions) to predict a nest’s mass from its measurements. Nests measured showed

Several species of lizards are disappearing around the world. Their populations are declining on a global scale and for carrying out conservation actions, it is necessary to identify the real risks of extinction and the threats that affect the species. Alternative methodologies that are commonly applied and also the use of different approaches are important tools to fill gaps concerning various threats

The survival of endangered species often depends on conservation management actions aiming to modify some of the biotic or abiotic characteristics of the environment. Owing to numerous limitations, most often only short-term responses to management are evaluated. However, lack of correlation between short- and long-term effects can result in the implementation of erroneous conservation management plans

Global wildlife populations face multiple threats, from an ever-growing human population. The Carnivora, especially species of large body size are at risk of local extinction from habitat loss, as they depend on large home-ranges and are highly susceptible to changes in prey populations. The objective of this study was to detect responses of carnivorans of different body sizes to anthropogenic disturbance

Wildlife is used for a range of purposes such as food, healthcare and ornamentation. Most wildlife trade is legal, contributing to livelihood and income generation for many people including some of the world’s poorest. However, the part of wildlife harvesting and trade occurring outside the laws is considered the biggest threat to conservation after habitat loss and overexploitation. Although illegal

Irrigation canals are an important cause of wild mammal mortality in the Piedmont forest of the Argentine Yungas. To improve the permeability of this infrastructure, specific wildlife crossings were added to the existing non-wildlife crossings built for other purposes. However, the effectiveness of these wildlife-specific crossings has still not been evaluated. Here, we identified the mammalian species

Chelonians (turtles and tortoises) are key, but highly endangered, ecological components. Pet trade is a pervasive threat that often results in the confiscation of specimens, or their release in non-native regions. Emys orbicularis is considered near threatened, with declining populations across its western Palaeartic range. Individuals of unknown origin (confiscated or wild-caught) are maintained

Understanding human influence on ecosystems and their services is crucial to achieve sustainable development and ensure the conservation of biodiversity. In this context, the human footprint index (HFI) represents the anthropogenic impacts on ecosystems and the natural environment. Our objective was to characterize the HFI in Southern Patagonia (Argentina) across the landscape, qualifying the differences

The piedmont dry forest of northwestern Argentina has been under intensive and unplanned forest logging focused on 12 tree species, without any attempts having been made to ensure their regeneration or long-term conservation. In this study, we assessed the conservation status of these timber species in the piedmont dry forest of northwestern Argentina and compared our results with the IUCN assessment

Fencing, including electric fencing, is widely used across South Africa for livestock and game ranching practices. Leopard tortoises (Stigmochelys pardalis) are particularly prone to being killed by electric fences, but no published studies have assessed the impact of fence structure or quantified tortoise mortality along non-electric fences. This is a conservation concern, especially because South

National parks occur in most nations around the globe and tend to have a dual role of protecting natural heritage features while also providing opportunities for the public to interact with natural areas through recreation and leisure. National parks are afforded varying degrees of protection with recreational fishing allowed in some form within the boundaries of some parks. However, little is known

Millions of reptiles are both legally and illegally traded annually. However, the number of species being exploited for the live animal trade far exceeds any other demand, such as for use in the exotic leather trade. The huge diversity and abundance of reptiles traded globally is concerning as commercial consumer demand can result in unsustainable harvests which could lead to species declines or even

Degraded ecosystems worldwide are in need of restoration in order to recover essential ecosystem services, promoting biodiversity and enhancing carbon stock. Methods to restore vegetation differ widely in economic cost and effectiveness, but economic evaluations are scarce in the literature. The aim was to perform an economic appraisal of different restoration options for gypsum habitats after mining

In the core areas of National Parks (NPs), there might be a conflict between the approaches of process-based conservation, i.e. allowing natural ecological processes to develop without intervention, and of species-based conservation, i.e. active management to protect specific aspects of biodiversity. To better understand this conflict and its consequences, we collected data on non-native plant species

Land consolidation can negatively affect biodiversity, as it is usually followed by the expansion of arable land, a decrease in crop and land cover diversity, and an increase in the application of agrochemicals. The aim of our study was to compare the species’ composition and abundance of farmland birds, as well as habitat structure, on consolidated and non-consolidated sites in Goričko, NE Slovenia

The anthropogenic spread of pathogens contributes to the decline of some species. However, restocking programs implemented to counteract the decline of such populations can also contribute to the spread of pathogens, in particular for endangered species that cannot be bred in captivity, where populations used in restocking must be sourced from the wild with no control over sanitary status. A prime

Wildlife crime, including illegal harvesting, poaching, use, and trade, is a global issue. While studies on wildlife crimes have been performed on a global scale, it is also essential to assess their impact on native species at national scales. Investigating illegal activities involves analyzing law enforcement and seizure data, especially in areas with high biodiversity. In this study, we analyzed

The area of heathland has declined substantially in southern England since the eighteenth century but recent incentives and financial encouragement through lottery grants and agri-environment schemes have promoted restoration projects. A restoration programme on three contrasting habitats was carried out within Burnham Beeches NNR in southern England, using managed vs control areas to aid evaluation

Finding a good breeding site, especially for those bird species that build large nests, is a crucial element in the settlement of a new potential area. Understanding the site selection process is not only interesting from an ecological theoretical point of view, but also has strong conservation implications. How do birds assess the quality of a site? How can we manipulate that process to encourage

The Yangtze River supports rich biodiversity and provides important ecosystem services for human survival and development. Indices of the ecosystem health of the river are deteriorating and an increasing proportion of the 4,300 species is at highly depleted levels or at risk of extinction, including many rare and endemic species. The purpose of this article is to (i) introduce the current status of

The introduction of alien species is one of the main threat to native biodiversity worldwide. The spreading of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus and Paysandisia archon across the Mediterranean basin caused enormous damages to cultivated palms, representing a paradigmatic case of uncontrolled diffusion of invasive alien pests. The infestation of natural populations of Chamaerops humilis, which has a particular

Turning national restoration commitments into action involves systematic spatial planning and prioritization of areas for investment. To achieve restoration at the landscape level, efforts must focus on ecological recovery, where productivity and ecosystem services are recovered on degraded agricultural lands, to meet not only environmental objectives but socioeconomic objectives as well, which can

Myanmar is an area of high diversity with prolific illegal wildlife trade, including trade in bear products for medicine. We focused on Rakhine State, Myanmar, which retains sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) populations despite poaching. To better understand why poaching continues to occur and whether poaching is motivated by regional demand for bear products for medicine, we performed a mixed methods

A growing number of conservationists argue that effective management of human modified ecosystems is preferable to protecting undisturbed forest ecosystems. Hence, this study evaluated the efficiency of the two alternatives for the conservation of vulnerable tree species by comparing the distinctiveness of species composition, species richness, and evenness of local assemblages. The study was conducted

Wildlife reintroduction projects are required to account for social and economic factors. Wildlife tourism is often cited as a benefit of reintroduction, so an understanding of whether and how this manifests is required. Through a case study of a village in the catchment of a live reintroduction project (Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) in England) we reveal how reintroduced species tourism has economic

Restoration of natural habitats plays an important role in nature conservation. After 30 years of efforts to restore species-rich floodplain meadows, most of which had been lost to alternative land uses during the preceding half century, the extent and level of restoration success in the UK remained unknown. Athree-yearsurvey of floodplain meadow-restoration projects across England and Waleswas completed

Using a conservation index as a prioritization tool, we explore combining some protected areas and dividing others in order to optimally redistribute rangers when no additional financial resources are available. Then we explore splitting protected areas to achieve the optimal distribution of additional human resources if additional financial resources become available. We found that efficiencies can

Tropical forests are facing constant degradation and destruction as a result of multiple threats, mostly from land-use, and increasingly from climate change. Understanding the effects of these threats, and the role of Protected Areas in buffering their impacts, is becoming an essential task to prevent the loss of species. In this study, we used the woolly monkey, a keystone species with seed dispersal

Kawthoolei (defined as all Karen National Union administrative areas and encompassing Karen State, Myanmar), a global hotspot for biodiversity, is increasingly under threat due to deforestation, mining, human population growth, indiscriminate burning, and infrastructure development. Pinpointing biodiversity hotspots to focus conservation efforts is integral given the limited funding and capacity of

Wolf predation on domestic animals is a main reason for human-wolf conflict throughout the global range of wolves (Canis lupus). We conducted research in Daursky State Nature Biosphere Reserve and Valley of Dzeren Nature Refuge to evaluate the extent of wolf-livestock conflict. We documented 64 cases of livestock predation by wolves between 2015 and 2019 and analyzed the patterns of conflicts and people’s

Tiger populations are declining globally, and depletion of major ungulate prey is an important contributing factor. To better understand factors affecting prey distribution in Thailand’s Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM), we conducted sign surveys for gaur (Bos gaurus), banteng (Bos javanicus), and sambar (Rusa unicolor) along 3517 1-km transects and used occupancy models to identify important covariates

Human disturbance to wildlife is on the rise and disturbance management is a key activity in conservation. Although disturbance can be controlled with relative ease in nature reserves that are properly resourced and managed by employed staff, most reserves do not fall into this category, and most wildlife exists outside managed reserves entirely. Thus, developing and demonstrating the effectiveness

IUCN guidelines state that public support for conservation projects should be garnered prior to any ‘on the ground’ activities taking place, as public knowledge and support, both passive and / or active, can influence greatly the success of a species reintroduction. This study investigated the effectiveness of generating public support within a zoo setting for a conservation species reintroduction

Spontaneous hybridization in ex situ conservation facilities could potentially contaminate endangered plant species destined for the reintroduction into the wild. Despite the general recognition of the importance of such danger, studies exploring the consequences of hybridization including subsequent performance of the hybrids in comparison to the original species are rare. The aim of the present study

A number of factors contribute to the process of amphibian decline, among them population fragmentation and road-kills. In this work we evaluated the effects of a road that separates the hibernation area of the Fire Salamander population from their breeding site on the demography and movement behavior. For that we monitored the population for four years using transects along the road and along a river

Agri-environment schemes directly focused on bird conservation have been implemented in agropastoral Mediterranean drylands aiming to guide the design of agricultural landscapes to enhance biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. In this study, by linking agricultural intensification indicators with the richness of grassland specialist birds (RGSB), we aimed to perform a preliminary assessment

Protected areas (PAs) are crucial to the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Moreover, the creation, management, and efficiency of PAs are associated with the historical geography (the type of PA and number of PAs over the years), bioclimatic sufficiency, and informetric factors (number of papers and number of hits on the internet). These variables vary across the PA network, and combining

Wildlife trade is considered one of the most significant pathways for the spread of exotic species, as it is present worldwide and crosses abiotic and biotic barriers. In this sense, identifying potential invaders before they are introduced and analyzing the ecological implications of possible escapes of captive species to the wild is an important issue for preventing invasive species impacts. In Brazil

The decline of bees and other invertebrate pollinators is cause for global concern, with modern intensive agriculture identified as a key driver. Government-run agri-environment schemes (AES) have the potential to restore the local landscape to benefit bees. Bee abundance, species richness and foraged plants were surveyed over a season on 18 farms in Shropshire, UK, classified into three treatment

Facing the loss of biodiversity caused by landscape fragmentation, implementation of ecological networks to connect habitats is an important biodiversity conservation issue. It is necessary to develop easily reproducible methods to identify and prioritize actions to maintain or restore ecological corridors. To date, several competing methods are used with recurrent debate on which is best and if expert-based

Cattle grazing usually has negative effects on wildlife. We studied the effects of cattle on the patterns of habitat use and diel activity of three neotropical herbivores, capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), gray brocket (Mazama gouazoubira) and marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) across the savannas of northeastern Argentina. We conducted a camera-trap survey with 234 stations in three habitat types

Sacred natural sites are the unique landforms protected and worshiped by local communities for cultural or religious purposes. Although the traditionally-managed sites are suggested to have potential in contributing towards biodiversity conservation, few studies have examined the effectiveness of such sites on the protection of animal diversity. In this study, we used large and medium-sized mammals

While many initiatives, studies and projects are focusing only on modelling wildlife connectivity movement, coordinated efforts should help to deliver adaptative solutions for the on-the-ground needs, while helping the planners and involving communities in landscape protection. Multispecies spatial models and maps allow the generalisation of findings across more significant regions and provide insights

Invasion pathways and invasion-related lags are critical to understand the invasion process and to manage invasive species. The challenge of dealing with introduced populations increases when charismatic species are involved, such as the case of invasive squirrels. In this study, we integrate previous information into a comprehensive description of the invasion process of Callosciurus erythraeus in

The Nature Needs Half (NNH) movement aims to protect 50 % of the earth. That said protected area designation usually neglects freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity. We assessed protection of the surface area of lakes, length of river reaches, habitat area of fish and odonate species within the terrestrial-focused protected areas of Bhutan that meets NNH target. We categorised percentage protection

Wildlife rehabilitation is an increasingly important and global practice, aiming towards advancements in animal welfare and species conservation. Although there are ongoing discussions on the benefits and limitations of wildlife rehabilitation, there is a general agreement on the importance of wildlife rehabilitation on improving the welfare of wild animals and identifying threats to wildlife. Determining

The floodplains of brackish coastal lagoons are subject to a highly dynamic hydrological regimen mainly due to their intermittent connection with the ocean. Coastal lagoons generally support fisheries, while livestock ranching and human settlements are found in the floodplain. Therefore, it is common practice to artificially open the sand barrier to avoid floods and manage fish stocks. Saltmarsh species

The Canga ecosystem, in the Eastern Brazilian Amazon, is a biodiversity and endemism hotspot as well a potential resource for iron mining, raising conflicts between conservation and economic development. Here, we collected data from 60 randomly selected points in the Canga ecosystem in the Carajás National Forest, Brazil, to analyze the spatial patterns of Ipomoea cavalcantei occurrence in different

Protected areas are one of the main tools for the restoration of degraded ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity. The lessons learned from the failure or success of conservation plans can be used to improve ecosystem conservation projects. This study examines the ecological success and social acceptance of Khabr National Park, Iran. Ecologically, the vertical and horizontal structures and

The design of effective strategies for the conservation and management of threatened narrow-range species requires basic knowledge on their geographic distribution and abundance. When such knowledge is lacking, modelling techniques can provide an opportunity to acquire basic information and incorporate it immediately into conservation programs. This study used ecological niche modelling to map the

The only self-sustaining population of endangered whooping cranes (Grus americana) requires a network of conservation lands for wintering along the Texas Gulf Coast (USA), so that this increasing population can reach downlisting under the Endangered Species Act (1000 birds). We identify locations providing the highest quality and most sustainable wintering habitat for these whooping cranes through

The popularity of the Common Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) as a pet has contributed to its global occurrence as an invasive alien species. Early detection and control of alien I. iguana populations is necessary to prevent the need for large and financially demanding eradication actions. Here, we first collated information from digital footage and interviews regarding sightings of free roaming I. iguana