Landscapes that work for biodiversity and people

Science, Journal Year: 2018, Volume and Issue: 362(6412)

Published: Oct. 18, 2018

How can we manage farmlands, forests, and rangelands to respond the triple challenge of Anthropocene-biodiversity loss, climate change, unsustainable land use? When managed by using biodiversity-based techniques such as agroforestry, silvopasture, diversified farming, ecosystem-based forest management, these socioeconomic systems help maintain biodiversity provide habitat connectivity, thereby complementing protected areas providing greater resilience change. Simultaneously, use management improve yields profitability more sustainably, enhancing livelihoods food security. This approach "working lands conservation" create landscapes that work for nature people. However, many challenges impede uptake practices. Although improving voluntary incentives, market instruments, environmental regulations, governance is essential support working conservation, it community action, social movements, broad coalitions among citizens, businesses, nonprofits, government agencies have power transform how protect environment.

Language: Английский

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Biodiversity losses and conservation responses in the Anthropocene

Science, Journal Year: 2017, Volume and Issue: 356(6335), P. 270 - 275

Published: April 20, 2017

Biodiversity is essential to human well-being, but people have been reducing biodiversity throughout history. Loss of species and degradation ecosystems are likely further accelerate in the coming years. Our understanding this crisis now clear, world leaders pledged avert it. Nonetheless, global goals reduce rate loss mostly not achieved. However, many examples conservation success show that losses can be halted even reversed. Building on these lessons turn tide will require bold innovative action transform historical relationships between populations nature.

Language: Английский

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Human–Wildlife Conflict and Coexistence

Annual Review of Environment and Resources, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 41(1), P. 143 - 171

Published: Sept. 12, 2016

Human interactions with wildlife are a defining experience of human existence. These can be positive or negative. People compete for food and resources, have eradicated dangerous species; co-opted domesticated valuable applied wide range social, behavioral, technical approaches to reduce negative wildlife. This conflict has led the extinction reduction numerous species uncountable deaths economic losses. Recent advances in our understanding growing number conservation coexistence outcomes. I summarize synthesize factors that contribute conflict, mitigate encourage coexistence, emerging trends debates. Fertile areas scholarship include scale complexity, models scenarios, generalizable patterns, expanding boundaries what is considered using new tools technologies, information sharing collaboration, implications global change. The time may ripe identify field, anthrotherology, brings together scholars practitioners from different disciplinary perspectives address human–wildlife coexistence.

Language: Английский

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Science for a wilder Anthropocene: Synthesis and future directions for trophic rewilding research

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2015, Volume and Issue: 113(4), P. 898 - 906

Published: Oct. 26, 2015

Trophic rewilding is an ecological restoration strategy that uses species introductions to restore top-down trophic interactions and associated cascades promote self-regulating biodiverse ecosystems. Given the importance of large animals in their widespread losses resulting downgrading, it often focuses on restoring functional megafaunas. increasingly being implemented for conservation, but remains controversial. Here, we provide a synthesis its current scientific basis, highlighting as key conceptual framework, discussing main lessons learned from ongoing projects, systematically reviewing literature, unintentional spontaneous wildlife comebacks underused sources information. Together, these lines evidence show may be restored via reintroductions replacements. It clear, however, megafauna effects affected by poorly understood complexity with landscape settings, human activities, other factors. Unfortunately, empirical research still rare, fragmented, geographically biased, literature dominated essays opinion pieces. We highlight need applied programs include hypothesis testing science-based monitoring, outline priorities future research, notably assessing role complexity, interplay land use, climate change, well developing global scope tools optimize benefits reduce human-wildlife conflicts. Finally, recommend decision framework selection, building phylogenetic information attention potential contribution synthetic biology.

Language: Английский

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Co-Adaptation Is Key to Coexisting with Large Carnivores

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 31(8), P. 575 - 578

Published: July 3, 2016

Language: Английский

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Megafauna and ecosystem function from the Pleistocene to the Anthropocene

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 113(4), P. 838 - 846

Published: Jan. 25, 2016

Large herbivores and carnivores (the megafauna) have been in a state of decline extinction since the Late Pleistocene, both on land more recently oceans. Much has written timing causes these declines, but only scientific attention focused consequences declines for ecosystem function. Here, we review progress our understanding how megafauna affect physical trophic structure, species composition, biogeochemistry, climate, drawing special features PNAS Ecography that published as result an international workshop this topic held Oxford 2014. Insights emerging from work changes biosphere function Pleistocene functioning contemporary ecosystems, well offering rationale framework scientifically informed restoration megafaunal where possible appropriate.

Language: Английский

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Designing optimal human‐modified landscapes for forest biodiversity conservation

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 23(9), P. 1404 - 1420

Published: June 15, 2020

Agriculture and development transform forest ecosystems to human-modified landscapes. Decades of research in ecology have generated myriad concepts for the appropriate management these Yet, are often contradictory apply at different spatial scales, making design biodiversity-friendly landscapes challenging. Here, we combine with empirical support optimal landscape scenarios forest-dwelling species. The supported indicate that appropriately sized should contain ≥ 40% cover, although higher percentages likely needed tropics. Forest cover be configured c. 10% a very large patch, remaining 30% many evenly dispersed smaller patches semi-natural treed elements (e.g. vegetation corridors). Importantly, embedded high-quality matrix. proposed represent an compromise between delivery goods services humans preserving most wildlife, can therefore guide preservation restoration strategies.

Language: Английский

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Fear of large carnivores causes a trophic cascade

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2016, Volume and Issue: 7(1)

Published: Feb. 23, 2016

Abstract The fear large carnivores inspire, independent of their direct killing prey, may itself cause cascading effects down food webs potentially critical for conserving ecosystem function, particularly by affecting herbivores and mesocarnivores. However, the evidence this has been repeatedly challenged because it remains experimentally untested. Here we show that manipulating in free-living mesocarnivore (raccoon) populations using month-long playbacks carnivore vocalizations caused just such effects, reducing foraging to benefit mesocarnivore’s which turn affected a competitor prey prey. We further report restoring our study system, where most have extirpated, succeeded reversing impacts. suggest results reinforce need conserve given significant “ecosystem service” them provides.

Language: Английский

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Range contractions of the world's large carnivores

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2017, Volume and Issue: 4(7), P. 170052 - 170052

Published: July 1, 2017

The majority of the world's terrestrial large carnivores have undergone substantial range contractions and many these species are currently threatened with extinction. However, there has been little effort to fully quantify extent carnivore contractions, which hinders our ability understand roles relative drivers such trends. Here we present analyse a newly constructed comprehensive set contraction maps. We reveal ranges contracted since historical times identify regions biomes where particularly large. In summary, that experienced greatest include red wolf (Canis rufus) (greater than 99%), Ethiopian simensis) (99%), tiger (Panthera tigris) (95%) lion leo) (94%). general, occurred in Southeastern Asia Africa. Motivated by ecological importance intact guilds, also examined spatial guilds both for entire world regionally. found occupy just 34% land area. This compares 96% historic times. Spatial modelling showed were significantly more likely high rural human population density, cattle density or cropland. Our results offer new insights into how best prevent further largest carnivores, will assist efforts conserve their important effects.

Language: Английский

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Human–wildlife coexistence in a changing world

Conservation Biology, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 34(4), P. 786 - 794

Published: May 14, 2020

Abstract Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) is a key topic in conservation and agricultural research. Decision makers need evidence‐based information to design sustainable management plans policy instruments. However, providing objective decision support can be challenging because realities perceptions of human–wildlife interactions vary widely between within rural, urban, peri‐urban areas. Land users who incur costs through wildlife argue that wildlife‐related losses should compensated prevention subsidized. Supporters coexistence policies, such as urban‐dwelling people, may not face threats their livelihoods from wildlife. Such spatial heterogeneity the cost benefits living with germane most contemporary societies. This Special Section features contributions on wildlife‐induced damages range human perspectives (land use, psychology, governance, local attitudes perceptions, benefits, HWC theory) ecological (animal behavior). Building current literature articles this section, we developed conceptual model help frame dimensions. The framework used determine damage implementation levels approaches resolution. Our synthesis revealed inter‐ transdisciplinary multilevel governance stakeholders institutions implement strategies promote coexistence.

Language: Английский

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