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Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability—Current Challenges and Opportunities

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability, Biodiversity and Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2020) | Viewed by 38382

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Prof. Dr. Jasmin Mantilla-Contreras

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Guest Editor

Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, 31141 Hildesheim, Germany
Interests: biodiversity conservation; vegetation ecology; plant–animal interaction; nature conservation; restoration ecology; ecosystem management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biodiversity continues to decline, and the main drivers of biodiversity loss continue to increase. The unsustainable use of natural resources has led to an alarming rate of habitat loss. Climate change, invasive species, and pollution pose additional threats to global species richness. New and adapted conservation concepts are needed to protect and conserve biodiversity in the long run. These concepts must include ecological, social, and economic aspects. With this Special Issue we invite articles that focus on new aspects of biodiversity conservation. Contributions to this Special Issue should help to improve our knowledge on conservation concepts. Articles are welcome that focus on terrestrial and marine ecosystems; single and multiple species; global, regional, and local conservation strategies; or on ecological, social, and/or economic aspects of biodiversity conservation.

Contributions to this Special Issue are expected to focus on:

Human influence on biodiversity and challenges for biodiversity conservation;
Sustainable land use and biodiversity conservation;
Conservation challenges and opportunities from multiple perspectives;
Incorporation of ecological, social, and economic aspects into conservation planning;
Implementation of conservation measures and examination of the weaknesses of management approaches;
Conservation priorities and locally adapted concepts;
The role of ecosystem restoration for biodiversity conservation;
Bottom-up approaches and community-led management.

Prof. Jasmin Mantilla-Contreras
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

biodiversity conservation
biodiversity loss
sustainable land use
conservation priorities
community conservation
ecosystem restoration
bottom-up approaches
natural resource use
multiple conservation perspectives

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 1695 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rwenzori Score (RS): A Benthic Macroinvertebrate Index for Biomonitoring Rivers and Streams in the Rwenzori Region, Uganda

by Peace Liz Sasha Musonge, Pieter Boets, Koen Lock, Minar Naomi Damanik Ambarita, Marie Anne Eurie Forio and Peter L. M. Goethals

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10473; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410473 - 15 Dec 2020

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3573

Abstract

The Rwenzori region in Uganda, a global biodiversity hotspot, is currently undergoing exponential economic and population growth, which puts continuous stress on its freshwater ecosystems. In Sub-Saharan Africa, biomonitoring campaigns using region-specific biotic indices is limited, particularly in Uganda. In this research, we present the Rwenzori Score (RS), a new macroinvertebrate-based biotic index developed to specifically assess the aquatic health of Rwenzori streams and rivers. We collected and measured both biological and physicochemical variables and identified 34,202 macroinvertebrates, belonging to 64 different taxa. The RS was developed in two steps. First, using canonical ordination, we identified chemical variables that correlated significantly with gradients in macroinvertebrate assemblage distribution and diversity. Second, based on selected variables and weighted averages, we determined specific family indicator values and assigned pollution tolerance values (varying from 1: tolerant; to 10: sensitive) to a family. Finally, we established four water quality classes: poor, fair, good, and excellent. The RS is highly correlated with the Average Score Per Taxon System (p < 0.05), a well-known and widely used biotic index. The RS has 5 unique taxa that are not included in other regional indices. In this regard, the development of the RS is a beneficial tool for tailor-made biomonitoring that can contribute to the sustainable development of the Rwenzori stream and river basins. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability—Current Challenges and Opportunities)

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13 pages, 5136 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mapping the Potential Global Distribution of Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) Based on a Machine Learning Method

by Shuai Chen, Fangyu Ding, Mengmeng Hao and Dong Jiang

Sustainability 2020, 12(23), 10182; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310182 - 6 Dec 2020

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 7438

Abstract

As one of the most notorious invasive species, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren) has many adverse impacts on biodiversity, environment, agriculture, and human health. Mapping the potential global distribution of S. invicta becomes increasingly important for the prevention and control of its invasion. By combining the most comprehensive occurrence records with an advanced machine learning method and a variety of geographical, climatic, and human factors, we have produced the potential global distribution maps of S. invicta at a spatial resolution of 5 × 5 km². The results revealed that the potential distribution areas of S. invicta were primarily concentrated in southeastern North America, large parts of South America, East and Southeast Asia, and Central Africa. The deforested areas in Central Africa and the Indo-China Peninsula were particularly at risk from S. invicta invasion. In addition, this study found that human factors such as nighttime light and urban accessibility made considerable contributions to the boosted regression tree (BRT) model. The results provided valuable insights into the formulation of quarantine policies and prevention measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability—Current Challenges and Opportunities)

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14 pages, 2320 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Conservation Requirements of European Eel (Anquilla anquilla) in a Balkan Catchment

by Paul Meulenbroek, Urban Hammerschmied, Stefan Schmutz, Steven Weiss, Michael Schabuss, Horst Zornig, Spase Shumka and Friedrich Schiemer

Sustainability 2020, 12(20), 8535; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208535 - 15 Oct 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3117

Abstract

The European eel (Anquilla anquilla) has been declining throughout its area of distribution, is addressed in several pieces of legislation, and is the target of extensive restoration efforts. Therefore, investigating and conserving natural eel habitats is urgently needed. Large, near-natural rivers have become rare in Europe but the Balkans host some of the extant examples. However, several Balkan rivers–among them the transboundary river Vjosa/Aoos of Albania and Greece–are under threat from planned hydropower constructions. This study synthesizes European eel catch data from four institutions and the results of a recent electrofishing survey. Population density and structure as well as habitat choice were studied at different spatial scales. We calculated densities for each meso-habitat (0–1303 ind./ha) and extrapolated these values across three different hydromorphological channel sections (meandering: 70 ind./ha, braided: 131 ind./ha, constrained: 334 ind./ha), resulting in an overall mean density of 168 ind./ha. Proposed hydropower plants would cut off about 80% of the catchment currently accessible and impact river sections downstream of the dams by disturbing hydrological dynamics. By linking study results to relevant legislation and literature we provide evidence-based data for water management decisions. We call for the Vjosa/Aoos to be protected in order to secure its outstanding conservation value. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability—Current Challenges and Opportunities)

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17 pages, 4340 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Droughts on Vegetation Condition and Ecosystem Service Delivery in Data-Poor Areas: A Case of Bobirwa Sub-District, Limpopo Basin and Botswana

by Ephias Mugari, Hillary Masundire and Maitseo Bolaane

Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 8185; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12198185 - 4 Oct 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3157

Abstract

Understanding the effects of droughts on vegetation and ecosystem services (ES) is important for climate change adaptation. However, drought occurrence varies across space and time. We examined drought dynamics and impacts on vegetation and ES in the semi-arid Limpopo Basin of Botswana. Weather station precipitation, remotely sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and participatory mapping exercises provided data for the analyses. Results show that between 1980 and 2015, rainfall anomaly indices of potential drought years ranged between −4.38 and −0.12. The longest spell of below-average rainfall occurred between 1992 and 1996. On average, drought events lasted for 1.9 years and recurred every 2.3 years. Although the overall drought frequency was 3.7 times in every 5 years, drought prevalence increased to 50%, 60% and 70% between 1981–1990, 1991–2000, and 2001–2010, respectively. The wet season average vegetation condition index between 2000 and 2015 revealed the occurrence of severe-to-extreme droughts in 2002–2003, 2005, 2008–2009 and 2012–2013 and light-to-moderate droughts in 2004, 2006–2007 and 2011, giving a drought prevalence of 73.3%. The increased frequency and severity of droughts is diminishing natural vegetation, crop productivity and several provisioning ES through moisture stress and drought-induced agricultural expansions. There exists an urgent need for smallholder irrigation development in Bobirwa sub-district to improve crop productivity and reduce the drought-induced conversion of woodlands to agriculture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability—Current Challenges and Opportunities)

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16 pages, 2571 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diminishing Farm Diversity of East African Highland Bananas in Banana Bunchy Top Disease Outbreak Areas of Burundi—The Effect of Both Disease and Control Approaches

by Alice Simbare, Cheikh Amet Bassirou Sane, Innocent Nduwimana, Celestin Niyongere and Bonaventure Aman Omondi

Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7467; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187467 - 10 Sep 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2984

Abstract

Disease-driven selection favours evasive, tolerant, and resistant cultivars, changing cultivar diversity significantly. Since its outbreak in Burundi in the late 1980s, Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD) has now spread to 5 out of 18 provinces across the country, principally through informal seed exchanges. Control approaches have focused on using tissue culture clean planting material and eradicating infected mats. This study investigated the impact of BBTD and its control measures on seed selection practices and banana cultivars diversity in Burundi, by comparing two BBTD endemic sites and one where the disease wasn’t reported. Results have shown that in addition to agronomic traits used in all sites, some BBTD-typical symptoms were used in seed selection in the endemic areas. Own seed provisioning and formal seed sources networks were more likely to be observed in BBTD-endemic areas, compared with the non-endemic area. Disease control using certified tissue culture planting materials reduced the varietal diversity of local cultivars but enabled the introduction of new cultivars. A general reduction in the diversity of local cultivars grown by farmers in the BBTD endemic zones was observed, with about half of the diversity per farmer compared to the non-endemic zone. Farmer demand for varieties (local and improved) was not different between the two areas. Sustainable conservation of crop genetic diversity in the presence of disease invasions remains a problem to be addressed. Thus, implementing seed system-linked intervention with an explicit and monitored diversity conservation objective would increase the sustainability of agricultural production in such situations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability—Current Challenges and Opportunities)

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16 pages, 765 KiB

Open AccessArticle

From Safety Net to Point of No Return—Are Small-Scale Inland Fisheries Reaching Their Limits?

by Pina Lena Lammers, Torsten Richter and Jasmin Mantilla-Contreras

Sustainability 2020, 12(18), 7299; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187299 - 6 Sep 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3276

Abstract

Small-scale inland fisheries (SSIF) are a livelihood opportunity for millions of people in developing countries. Understanding the economic, ecological, political and social impacts fishers are coping with can clarify weaknesses and challenges in the fishery management. Using the SSIF at Lake Alaotra, Madagascar, as an example, we analyzed the development and fishers’ perception of, and adaptation strategies to, change. We surveyed fish catches to assess the state of fish stocks and conducted interviews to understand fishers’ livelihood, problems, behavior and attitudes. Our results show that the fishery sector of Lake Alaotra has grown dramatically although fish catches have fallen sharply. Changes in species composition and low reproduction rates reflect the fishing pressure. A point of no return seems near, as decreasing agricultural yields force farmers to enter the fishery sector as a form of livelihood diversification. Lake Alaotra reflects an alarming trend which can already be seen in many regions of the world and may affect a growing number in the near future. The Alaotran fisheries demonstrate that SSIF’s ability to provide livelihood alternatives under conditions of insecurity will become increasingly important. It further highlights that the identification of ongoing livelihood dynamics in order to disclose possible poverty trap mechanisms and to understand fisheries’ current function is essential for sustainable management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability—Current Challenges and Opportunities)

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11 pages, 2821 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential Distribution of Goldenrod (Solidago altissima L.) during Climate Change in South Korea

by Jeong Soo Park, Donghui Choi and Youngha Kim

Sustainability 2020, 12(17), 6710; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176710 - 19 Aug 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2763

Abstract

Predictions of suitable habitat areas within a specific region can provide important information to assist in the management of invasive plants. Here, we predict the current and future potential distribution of Solidago altissima (tall goldenrod) in South Korea using climatic and topographic variables and anthropogenic activities. We adopt four single models (the generalized linear model, generalized additive model, random forest, and an artificial neural network) and a weighted ensemble model for the projection based on 515 field survey points. The results showed that suitable areas for S. altissima were mainly concentrated in the southwest regions of South Korea, where temperatures are higher than in other regions, especially in the winter season. Solar radiation and Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) were also positively associated with the occurrence of S. altissima. Anthropogenic effects and distances from rivers were found to be relatively less important variables. Based on six selected explanatory variables, suitable habitat areas for S. altissima have expanded remarkably with climate changes. This range expansion is likely to be stronger northward in west coastal areas. For the SSP585 scenario, our model predicted that suitable habitat areas increased from 16,255 km² (16.2% of South Korea) to 44,551 km² (44.4%) approximately over the past thirty years. Our results show that S. altissima is highly likely to expand into non-forest areas such as roadsides, waterfront areas, and abandoned urban areas. We propose that, based on our projection maps, S. altissima should be removed from its current margin areas first rather than from old central population areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability—Current Challenges and Opportunities)

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17 pages, 657 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Factors Affecting Residents’ Support for Protected Area Designation

by Sunjoo Park, Seweryn Zielinski, Yoonjeong Jeong and Seong-il Kim

Sustainability 2020, 12(7), 2800; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072800 - 1 Apr 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3216

Abstract

This study examined the formation of residents’ behavioral intentions to support the expansion of protected areas (PAs). A structural equation model combining the theory of planned behavior and an expectancy disconfirmation model were employed to test seven hypotheses on the influence of expectations, performance, satisfaction, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on behavioral intention to support PA designation. The findings indicate that although the expectations of PA performance did not significantly influence the satisfaction from PAs, the perceived performance after the designation significantly contributed to building satisfaction, which in turn had a significant role in explaining attitudes. Furthermore, positive and significant associations of subjective norms and behavioral control with behavioral intention to support additional designation were identified. These results provide indications for PA managers and environmental agencies regarding aspects to consider when engaging in planning with local communities and appropriate ways to respond to their concerns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability—Current Challenges and Opportunities)

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Review

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32 pages, 3025 KiB

Open AccessReview

Biosphere Reserves’ Management Effectiveness—A Systematic Literature Review and a Research Agenda

by Ana Filipa Ferreira, Heike Zimmermann, Rui Santos and Henrik von Wehrden

Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5497; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145497 - 8 Jul 2020

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 6053

Abstract

Research about biosphere reserves’ management effectiveness can contribute to better understanding of the existing gap between the biosphere reserve concept and its implementation. However, there is a limited understanding about where and how research about biosphere reserves’ management effectiveness has been conducted, what topics are investigated, and which are the main findings. This study addresses these gaps in the field, building on a systematic literature review of scientific papers. To this end, we investigated characteristics of publications, scope, status and location of biosphere reserves, research methods and management effectiveness. The results indicate that research is conceptually and methodologically diverse, but unevenly distributed. Three groups of papers associated with different goals of biosphere reserves were identified: capacity building, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. In general, each group is associated with different methodological approaches and different regions of the world. The results indicate the importance of scale dynamics and trade-offs between goals, which are advanced as important leverage points for the success of biosphere reserves. Building on the gaps identified in the literature, a research agenda is proposed, focusing on the need to investigate mechanisms for holistic research, outcomes and trade-offs, transformations for social-ecological fit and institutions for integrated management across scales. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability—Current Challenges and Opportunities)

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