Conservation

A thorough understanding of the natural history and biology of any species of concern is vital to improving their conservation outlook. There are several possible impediments that can arise in compiling the necessary data to have such a measurable impact. The species belonging to the genus Oophaga display brilliant coloration that varies within and between species and extensive parental care that make this group unique among amphibians and highly recognizable to people around the world. The Large Colombian Oophaga, historically known as the histrionica–lehmanni species complex, is a group comprising five distinct species with varying color patterns, preferred habitats, and alkaloid profiles. These species are greatly understudied and there are considerable knowledge gaps about their biology and conservation status, ranging from species distributions and population structures to fecundity and development. These gaps can complicate efforts to conserve them both in their natural habitats and in ex situ efforts. Here we have compiled findings in the published literature on this unique clade of amphibians in an attempt to synthesize available knowledge on their natural history and evolution and alert the reader to ongoing threats. We provide species descriptions, including known ranges and localities, feeding ecology, and reproductive behaviors, as well as current conservation efforts to guard against emergent threats, namely habitat loss and the illegal pet trade. The species profiled here represent a clade of amphibians that are unique in their natural histories and very much in need of further investigations to improve our knowledge base. It is the goal of the authors for this compilation to serve as a starting point for conservation efforts and a springboard for further research on this fascinating group. Full article

Polygonal patterned ground (PPG) is an important remote-sensing indicator of permafrost dynamics, yet its high-resolution distribution in alpine permafrost regions remains unknown. In this study, we developed an ensemble modeling framework to map PPG in the Three-River Source Region (TRSR), northeastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. A total of 4200 PPG occurrence samples and multi-source environmental variables were used to train four meta models: Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt), and the BIOCLIM package. Model performance was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) and true skill statistics (TSS). An AUC-weighted ensemble model was constructed from the best-performing models. RF showed the highest accuracy, with an AUC of 0.97 and TSS of 0.85, followed by SVM and MaxEnt. The final ensemble map achieved an overall accuracy of 93.7% and a kappa coefficient of 0.91 based on validation with high-resolution satellite imagery. The mapped PPG area was 59,082 km², accounting for 25.76% of the permafrost area and 16.01% of the TRSR. PPG was mainly distributed in the Yangtze River Source Region, with limited distribution in the Yellow River Source Region and no occurrence in the Lancang River Source Region. Compared with a previous Northern Hemisphere-scale PPG distribution product, our map reduced the estimated PPG area by 21.79% and improved local spatial detail. Variable importance analysis indicated that solar radiation, elevation, freeze–thaw indices, active-layer thickness, topography, soil moisture, and ground ice jointly controlled PPG distribution. PPG mainly occurred at elevations of 4400–5000 m, on gentle slopes of 0–3°, and in areas with 30–40% ground ice content. We also found that PPG can serve as a reliable geomorphic proxy for ice-rich and thermally sensitive permafrost in alpine regions. These findings highlight the utility of PPG for permafrost dynamic assessment and associated eco-hydrological impacts in alpine permafrost regions. Full article

We performed a before–after control–impact (BACI) experiment to assess the impact of red-legged partridge releases on mammalian predators, a common game management measure. During three consecutive years (2014–2016), 100 farm-reared red-legged partridges were kept every year for four weeks in an acclimatisation pen on a hunting estate in southern Spain. Before and after releasing the birds, we estimated partridge and predator abundances in a 1000 m buffer around the release point and at a second point where no partridges were released as a control. Results showed that red fox and red-legged partridge abundances increased significantly close to the release points immediately after releasing the birds. Fox abundance was significantly associated with partridge abundance and distance to the pen. Other non-fox predators did not show the same patterns, nor did their abundance increase after the release. The experimental results suggest that the red fox is the main mammalian predator associated with the released birds and that partridge releases may produce an attraction effect on this predator species. The release of partridges can adversely affect the image of the fox as a predatory species that may take advantage of a newly abundant resource, creating a conservation problem that encourages conflict between predators, without distinguishing species, and hunters. Full article

The population of Tenualosa toli is primarily distributed in the coastal and estuarine waters of Sarawak, Malaysia, where landings have declined steadily from 1031 tons in 2003 to 586 tons in 2013. To assess stock status and support sustainable management, samples were collected between May 2016 and October 2017. Length-based stock assessment methods, including the TropFishR package and the Length-Based Bayesian Biomass (LBB) model, were used to estimate growth, mortality, exploitation, and biomass indicators. Growth analysis yielded an asymptotic length (L_∞) of 57.81 cm, a growth coefficient (K) of 0.34 yr⁻¹, a growth performance index (φ′) of 3.09, and a theoretical age at zero length (t₀) of −0.40. Mortality estimates indicated total mortality (Z) of 1.82 yr⁻¹, with natural mortality (M) of 0.49 yr⁻¹ and fishing mortality (F) of 1.33 yr⁻¹. The exploitation rate (E) was estimated at 0.73, substantially higher than the optimal level (E = 0.50), indicating excessive fishing pressure. The length at first capture (Lc₅₀ = 19.16 cm) was considerably lower than the length at first maturity (Lm₅₀ = 31.91 cm), suggesting that most individuals are harvested before reaching maturity. The optimal length (Lopt) was estimated at 35.0 cm (L_opt/L_∞ = 0.67), while the observed mean length was much smaller (L_mean/L_opt = 0.73), indicating growth overfishing. Biomass indicators were critically low, with B/B₀ = 0.017 and B/BMSY = 0.046, confirming that the stock is severely depleted and far below sustainable levels, suggesting recruitment overfishing. Overall, the results indicate that the fishery is experiencing both growth and recruitment overfishing due to intense harvesting of immature individuals and high fishing pressure. Therefore, management measures such as increasing mesh size, reducing fishing mortality to sustainable levels (F = M), and protecting spawning grounds and peak spawning seasons are urgently required. If these measures are effectively implemented, the T. toli stock could recover and reach sustainable production levels in the waters of Sarawak, Malaysia. Full article

Wild-food foraging is booming across the Global North, but its meaning—and its value for plant conservation—differs sharply between settings. We compare three case studies: Denmark, an intensively cultivated country with a book- and app-led revival; Southern Scotland, a post-industrial landscape whose foragers are largely incomers with a media-sourced repertoire; and Tel Aviv–Jaffa (Israel), where Nordic-inspired “neo-foraging” coexists with an eroding Arab–Palestinian oral tradition. Pooling three independently collected ethnobotanical datasets (2012–2021; Denmark: questionnaires n = 27 and interviews n = 10; Southern Scotland: questionnaires n = 12 and interviews n = 9; Tel Aviv–Jaffa: interviews only, n = 10), we record 153 wild-food taxa—136 plants (including three macroalgae) and 17 fungi—in 51 plant families. Read through the Latvian (Riga) sociology of foraging, all three cases sit on the delocalised, “lifestyle” side of the forager spectrum. Yet, all three converge on one under-exploited fact: foraging can train ordinary urban people to see, name, track and value wild plants. The apparent contradiction between gathering plants and conserving them, we argue, is resolved by the target flora rather than by the practice itself: harvest risk is concentrated in a small minority of rare, range-edge and habitat-specialist taxa, whereas plant awareness is built through repeated encounters with the commonest species—precisely those whose gathering is demographically trivial. Where foragers anchor their teaching in this ordinary, ubiquitous flora, their role is not merely compatible with plant conservation but quintessential to it. Foragers are, thus, an underused constituency of citizen educators capable of countering plant awareness disparity (also termed “plant unawareness”), provided their enthusiasm is coupled to a stewardship ethic, and we set out how conservation actors might mobilise rather than merely regulate this potential. Full article

Under intensive urbanization, botanical gardens soils can serve as reference plots for urban areas, reflecting both natural (pedogenic) and anthropogenic factors of soil formation. In this context, historical and archeological information on the Botanical garden of Saint Petersburg State University (BG SPbU) is presented. For the first time, morphological, physicochemical, and ecotoxicological characteristics of the BG SPbU soils are assessed using full-profile soil pits. The ecological features of the BG SPbU are noted, and the specific structure of the upper soil layer (up to 2 m) is examined. The physicochemical properties of the BG SPbU soils are consistent with the optimal levels for green spaces of the highest (I) category. In the 0–90 cm layer of the studied soil pits, elevated concentrations (relative to Russian regulatory standards) of toxic trace elements (lead, zinc, arsenic) are found. No signs of vegetation stress were detected during the survey. At the same time, the measured concentrations of Pb, Zn, and As exceed the Russian MPC (maximum permissible concentrations) and APC (approximate permissible concentrations) for heavy metals. These exceedances provide important information for further monitoring and decision-making regarding urban pollution regulation, and contribute to the discussion on revising the MPC and APC values in line with international standards. The results can be used to optimize management practices for green spaces of the BG SPbU and can also be incorporated into the long-term urban environmental monitoring program initiated in Saint Petersburg in 1991. Full article

Watersheds and coastal ecosystems are connected through hydrological, geological, ecological and social processes. In Chile, this land–sea continuum is exposed to earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, droughts, wildfires, volcanic activity and mass movements, while territorial inequalities shape the institutional capacity to prevent, prepare for and recover from socionatural disasters. This article examines whether the regional distribution of disaster events, administrative alerts, managed resources and disaster-related training in educational establishments suggests coherence or mismatch in preventive capacity-building. A quantitative, descriptive and inferential design was applied using secondary aggregate data from EM-DAT and SENAPRED for Chilean regions. Non-parametric analyses were used because variables did not follow normal distributions. Results show that central–southern regions, especially Maule, Biobío and Araucanía, experience high disaster recurrence and human impact, while the association between alerts and trained establishments remains weak (Spearman’s rho = 0.12), as does the association between alerts and managed resources (rho = 0.17). The study argues that unequal preventive capacity-building can weaken integrated watershed and coastal conservation because risk governance, biodiversity protection and ecosystem-based management depend on territorially differentiated institutional capacities. Prevention should therefore move from formally homogeneous coverage toward substantive territorial equity. Full article

Veterinary education has traditionally focused on companion and farm animals, while wildlife medicine and wildlife management remain insufficiently represented despite their growing importance within the One Health framework. This study aimed to assess and compare the knowledge, practical skills, and attitudes toward wildlife management and wildlife medicine among veterinary students enrolled in the Bulgarian- and English-language programmes at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Trakia University (Bulgaria), and in the Veterinary Medicine degree programme at the University of Milan (Italy). A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 307 veterinary students. The questionnaire evaluated students’ understanding of wildlife management, knowledge of the legislative and institutional framework governing wildlife conservation, practical experience in wildlife medicine, and preferred pathways for acquiring additional competencies. More than half of the respondents correctly associated wildlife management with the monitoring and active conservation of wildlife. However, knowledge of the relevant government authorities responsible for wildlife management was limited, with approximately one-third of the Bulgarian-language and English-language students and one-fifth of the Italian students unable to identify the responsible institutions. Practical experience in wildlife medicine was generally limited, particularly among Italian students, although students from Trakia University more frequently reported experience in multiple practical areas. Despite these gaps, respondents demonstrated a strong interest in wildlife medicine, with the majority expressing a willingness to develop competencies across multiple areas and preferring a combination of undergraduate education, postgraduate training, and voluntary practical experience. These findings highlight the need for stronger integration of wildlife medicine into undergraduate veterinary curricula through interdisciplinary teaching and practical training. Expanding educational opportunities in wildlife medicine would better prepare future veterinarians to contribute to wildlife health, biodiversity conservation, ecosystem health, and the implementation of the One Health approach. Full article

The Island of Montecristo, part of the Tuscan Archipelago, was subjected to an “invasive species” eradication effort co-financed by the European Union under the Life+ “Montecristo 2010” project in 2012. Biocidal agents were utilized in abundance, with the objective of targeting select species of flora and fauna. This included the aerial broadcast of pellets containing brodifacoum to attempt to eradicate the rat population. Brodifacoum’s environmental persistence has led to concerns regarding its potential for secondary, tertiary, and subsequent poisoning of numerous species. This article presents an analysis of probabilistic body mechanics simulations indicating that 4.12 tons of pellets containing brodifacoum would have likely reached the sea following the aerial distribution on Montecristo; a comprehensive literature review of the adverse effects and environmental persistence of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARS); as well as a theoretical application of the European Industrial Accident Scale (EIAS) to assess environmental contamination. The question of whether the practice of distributing substantial amounts of pesticides to eradicate a selected species constitutes a conservation initiative or could lead to environmental damage is a salient one, and this article aims to provide a multidisciplinary approach to address this question. Full article

The unique climate and rivers of the Southern Great Plains of the United States have shaped both ecological and human communities. Historically, the rivers of this region supported a wide variety of endemic species evolutionarily adapted to the particularly harsh environment, characterized by flow variability, periodic flooding and drying, and overall complexity. In this review, we provide an extensive overview of the many perils that the rivers of the Southern Great Plains are now facing due to the anthropogenic changes centered on river dam construction, high agricultural water demand, and groundwater depletion. These factors have fundamentally reshaped the flow regime of the Southern Great Plains rivers, resulting in a decline of native fish assemblages and increases in invasive species as a consequence of modified sediment transport, decrease in microhabitat diversity, changes in channel morphology, and an increase in habitat fragmentation. The case that we describe in the present article represents a prototypical example of the ecological consequences of human-induced alterations of river ecosystems. Here, we present this case as an example of damming-induced alteration of the riverine ecosystem, and we propose possible conservation measures to restore the original riverine environment and protect the currently threatened native fish diversity. Full article

Global biodiversity policy increasingly depends on community-led conservation, yet the comparative evidence base contains little from South Asia’s frontier regions. This article asks how a long-running grassroots organisation in a politically and ecologically marginal region combined community mobilisation, vernacular knowledge, scientific evidence, and engagement with public institutions in pursuing conservation outcomes, and which features of that process may be relevant beyond Northeast India. Four campaigns of Nature’s Beckon, founded in Dhubri, Assam, in 1982, are compared as distinct types of intervention: species-led protected-area mobilisation at Chakrashila; landscape-scale conservation against extractive pressure at Dihing Patkai; species research with public ecological education; and community-managed institution-building. The available evidence indicates a documented and substantial, though not exclusive, role in campaigns associated with the notification of two protected areas whose current notified areas total approximately 279.83 km². Advocacy alone does not adequately explain these outcomes: where a formal government decision was required, sustained organisational capacity became consequential only when it coincided with a favourable political and administrative opening. Measured against four design features associated with successful community-based conservation, the model corresponds strongly to capacity-building investment and external linkage, in qualified form to equitable benefit-sharing, and only partly to tenure security. The article develops an ecology of the margins framework and specifies which elements appear transferable and which do not. Full article

This study investigates the relationship between cultural compliance and late dry-season vegetation dynamics in Southwest Sumba, Indonesia, by analysing a decade of August Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data (2016–2025) and Cultural Compliance Scores (CCS) across three sites. Underpinned by lende ura, a local customary philosophy conceptualising the forest as a ‘rain bridge’ that sustains water availability, this cultural framework fosters community commitment to forest conservation. Empirically, this contrast is evident where Delo, actively practising this philosophy, maintained a high mean NDVI (0.90) with a markedly low Coefficient of Variation (CV: 1.96%), whereas Mangga Nippi and Lua Koba exhibited lower mean NDVI (0.58 and 0.66) and higher variability (CV: 26.54% and 11.06%), indicating biocultural divergence. Consequently, this erosion of traditional practices is associated with changes in vegetation and observed declines in hydrological functions, making water increasingly difficult to access and heightening economic vulnerability within an environmental poverty trap. These findings indicate that late dry-season vegetation stability in this dryland setting is closely associated with the strength of customary governance, suggesting that traditional institutions may complement the formal conservation of natural habitats. By pairing a CCS with a decade of NDVI variability, this study provides a replicable framework and testable hypotheses for examining biocultural dynamics in comparable seasonally dry tropical landscapes. Full article

In 1980, the UNEP, IUCN, and WWF published the World Conservation Strategy (WCS). This was the first time that the United Nations, alongside an intergovernmental organization (IUCN) and NGO (WWF), identified a comprehensive set of global conservation priorities. An evaluation of the WCS after 45 years provides insights into global progress in conservation implementation and its intellectual contribution to international strategies, including the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. We assess progress on the 13 priority requirements and 14 priority international actions identified in the WCS by evaluating achievements to date, persistent knowledge gaps, and how priorities have shifted over time. Whilst many of the policy and institutional frameworks identified in the WCS have been achieved, most of the key priorities remain, at best, only partially achieved, having progressed more slowly than hoped. In several cases, the situation has worsened. The only clear exception to this trend is the case of protected areas, which, although beset with imperfections that limit their effectiveness, have a coverage far larger than that envisaged in 1980. We explore why some actions have shown progress while others did not and reflect on lessons for future conservation strategies. Full article

Soil yeasts represent a significant component of the agricultural microbiota and possess high ecological and biotechnological potential in production systems such as those for sugarcane. This review analyses the importance of these microorganisms in fundamental processes related to soil health and functionality, highlighting their role in nutrient cycling, the decomposition of organic matter, and the availability of essential elements for plant uptake. Numerous studies have shown that certain yeasts possess plant-growth-promoting characteristics, including the production of phytohormones, siderophores and compounds capable of solubilizing nutrients, thereby promoting plant development and the sustainability of the agroecosystem. Furthermore, this review highlights the potential of yeasts as agents for the biological control of agricultural diseases and pests. Various mechanisms of action are described, including the production of volatile organic compounds, hydrolytic enzymes, antagonistic toxins, competition for nutrients and space, and the induction of defense responses in plants. In sugarcane systems, some yeast species such as Metschnikowia spp., Meyerozyma guilliermondii, Wickerhamomyces anomalus, Pichia spp., and Rhodotorula glutinis have demonstrated antagonistic activity against plant pathogens and the potential to be integrated into sustainable agricultural management strategies. Full article

Anthropogenic noise from Australia’s expanding Blue Economy, including shipping, fishing, and offshore renewable energy development, may impact pinnipeds on land and at sea, as they rely heavily on sound for communication, environmental sensing, and predator avoidance. Effective noise management requires species-specific hearing data. We present the first aerial audiograms of two Long-nosed fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri) between 100 Hz and 20 kHz, following a conditioned-response paradigm. Hearing tests were conducted inside an anechoic chamber at Taronga Zoo, Sydney. Both seals showed peak sensitivity at 3.2 kHz, with thresholds of 7 and 12 dB re 20 µPa. The younger female exhibited greater high-frequency sensitivity, while overall audiogram shapes were comparable to those reported for other (Northern) fur seals. Audiograms were overlain with spectra of common terrestrial noises and detection ranges were discussed. This study provides essential baseline data for developing auditory weighting functions, assessing the potential impacts of noise, and informing environmental management of coastal and offshore developments. Full article

Small-scale fisheries are socio-ecological systems in which resource users interact with environmental conditions, fishing regulations, community initiatives, and institutional actors. Understanding how fishers perceive and report these interactions provides information on the social context of fisheries management, although such perceptions cannot substitute for independent assessments of ecological sustainability, behavioural compliance, or governance effectiveness. This study characterized fishers’ environmental perceptions, self-reported fishing practices, participation in environmental education and conservation activities, and perceptions of community and institutional involvement in fisheries management in Tecomate Lagoon, Guerrero, Mexico. A cross-sectional quantitative design was used, and structured questionnaires were administered to 120 active artisanal fishers selected through simple random sampling. Data were analyzed descriptively using frequencies and percentages. Respondents primarily associated the lagoon with economic (49.17%) and food-related (25.83%) functions. Declining water levels (60.00%) and reduced species abundance (40.00%) were the environmental changes reported by respondents. Regarding fishing practices, 94.17% stated that they complied with fishing regulations, and 100% reported releasing organisms below the minimum legal catch size. Environmental training was reported by 95.00% of respondents, while 94.17% reported participation in conservation-related activities. CONAPESCA (80.83%) and UAGro (19.17%) were identified as institutions involved in fisheries-related initiatives. These findings characterize the perceptions and self-reported experiences of surveyed fishers and should not be interpreted as evidence of ecological sustainability, actual behavioural compliance, educational effectiveness, or governance performance. The contribution of the study lies in systematically documenting the resource-user perspective as a component of the social dimension of the fishery. This information provides a descriptive baseline that can complement future ecological, behavioural, institutional, and longitudinal assessments of small-scale fisheries in coastal lagoon systems. Full article

The Oriental stork, Ciconia boyciana Swinhoe, 1873 (Ciconiiformes: Ciconiidae), once common as a sedentary stork species across Japan, experienced a marked population decline during the last century, reaching extinction in the country in 1971 as a result of anthropogenic alterations to the natural environment. After the reintroduction of five captive descendants of continental pairs in 2005, the naturalized population of Oriental storks has steadily increased in Japan, reaching >500 wild storks by 2025. We recently encountered a case of apparent intestinal fluke infection with Chaunocephalus ferox (Echinostomata; Echinostomatidae) in a 2-month-old stork fledgling within a few days after leaving the nest on 29 June 2025. The parasite was subjected to morphological and molecular identification based on nucleotide sequences of the small- to large-subunit ribosomal RNA gene and mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene and was identified as C. ferox, a parasite exhibiting high host specificity for ciconiid birds worldwide. This finding suggests the re-establishment of its natural transmission cycle in the field in Japan, accompanied by the dispersal of definitive hosts after a gap of at least 30 years. Following the establishment of a reintroduced sedentary Oriental stork population in Japan, this health-threatening chaunocephalosis may, by chance, have a pronounced impact on infection-susceptible stork chicks cared for and fed by parent birds inhabiting fields with dense C. ferox endemicity (hotspots). Another Oriental stork fledgling from the same nest in June 2025 survived and was observed in March 2026 in a paddy field at a distant locality. Parasites are natural components of healthy ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity and trophic balance; therefore, inappropriate anthropogenic habitat modification may create scenarios in which parasites become overly destructive rather than serving merely as ecological regulators. Full article

The wildland–urban interface (WUI) refers to areas where forests with little human influence and other vegetation types intersect with human development. Ecosystem management in the WUI presents special challenges. Human dwellings and other infrastructure can constrain management options, such as timber harvesting, prescribed burning, and managing wildlife. Humans can also negatively affect ecosystem functioning through the introduction of invasive plant and animal species, wildfire ignition, habitat fragmentation, and attracting nuisance wildlife species. Although there are WUIs throughout the world, this review will focus mostly on the eastern United States, where a high population density and maturing forests highlight exceptional challenges to forest management. Land ownership in the WUI in this region is dominated by non-industrial private forestlands with diverse ownership objectives and is often distributed in relatively small parcels, creating difficulties for coordinated forest management. Landowners and loggers often plan timber harvests without input from forest managers. On the frontlines of WUI management are extension agents, state and local agencies, non-government organizations, and consulting foresters. Public education, cost-share agreements, and local government engagement are needed to conserve and manage forests in the WUI. Full article

Top predators drive ecosystem functions. Reintroductions of top predators are a vital conservation management strategy to achieve this. Ten spotted hyenas (hyenas—Crocuta crocuta) were reintroduced to the Tswalu Kalahari Reserve (TKR). To determine how hyenas recolonised the TKR, we fitted five hyenas with satellite collars. We assessed home range development and stabilisation using Movement Kernel Density Estimation (MKDE), home range overlap and dynamic interactions between individuals using proximity analysis. From hourly locations, we compared movement rates between individuals. We found that hyena home ranges stabilised within seven months of release. The average home range for reintroduced hyenas was 307 km² (SD = 124 km²). Home ranges overlapped ≤36% between individuals. Hyenas’ movements synchronised with each other at distances ≤ 10 km. The hyenas moved farther hourly in cooler seasons, and they displayed unimodal activity patterns (longest hourly movements in the afternoon and night). We found that hyenas reintroduced into the TKR (without other top predators) required <7 months to re-establish themselves, and their social dynamics are not strictly tied to those individuals with which they were reintroduced. In arid settings where there are no lions and resources are abundant, home ranges for reintroduced hyenas may be smaller than is typical for this species. Full article