ORCID Profile
0000-0002-7183-3988
Current Organisation
University of Queensland
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Environmental Science and Management | Conservation and Biodiversity | Terrestrial Ecology | Invasive Species Ecology | Ecological Impacts of Climate Change | Ecological Applications | Environmental Management | Environmental Monitoring | Conservation And Biodiversity | Natural Resource Management | Conservation
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity at Regional or Larger Scales | Control of Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species at Regional or Larger Scales | Control of Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species in Urban and Industrial Environments | Remnant Vegetation and Protected Conservation Areas at Regional or Larger Scales | Ecosystem Assessment and Management at Regional or Larger Scales | Marine protected areas | Other environmental aspects | Environmental and resource evaluation not elsewhere classified |
Related Links
Publications
Adding the Third Dimension to Marine Conservation
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-09-2017
DOI: 10.1111/CONL.12408
Grazing pressure on coral reefs decreases across a wide depth gradient in the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 28-01-2010
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS08354
Advancing marine conservation planning in the Mediterranean Sea
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-2012
Accelerated shifts in terrestrial life zones under rapid climate change
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-11-2022
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.15962
Abstract: Rapid climate change is impacting bio ersity, ecosystem function, and human well‐being. Though the magnitude and trajectory of climate change are becoming clearer, our understanding of how these changes reshape terrestrial life zones—distinct biogeographic units characterized by biotemperature, precipitation, and aridity representing broad‐scale ecosystem types—is limited. To address this gap, we used high‐resolution historical climatologies and climate projections to determine the global distribution of historical (1901–1920), contemporary (1979–2013), and future (2061–2080) life zones. Comparing the historical and contemporary distributions shows that changes from one life zone to another during the 20th century impacted 27 million km 2 (18.3% of land), with consequences for social and ecological systems. Such changes took place in all biomes, most notably in Boreal Forests, Temperate Coniferous Forests, and Tropical Coniferous Forests. Comparing the contemporary and future life zone distributions shows the pace of life zone changes accelerating rapidly in the 21st century. By 2070, such changes would impact an additional 62 million km 2 (42.6% of land) under “business‐as‐usual” (RCP8.5) emissions scenarios. Accelerated rates of change are observed in hundreds of ecoregions across all biomes except Tropical Coniferous Forests. While only 30 ecoregions (3.5%) had over half of their areas change to a different life zone during the 20th century, by 2070 this number is projected to climb to 111 ecoregions (13.1%) under RCP4.5 and 281 ecoregions (33.2%) under RCP8.5. We identified weak correlations between life zone change and threatened vertebrate richness, levels of vertebrate endemism, cropland extent, and human population densities within ecoregions, illustrating the ubiquitous risks of life zone changes to erse social–ecological systems. The accelerated pace of life zone changes will increasingly challenge adaptive conservation and sustainable development strategies that incorrectly assume current ecological patterns and livelihood provisioning systems will persist.
Hybridisation with introduced chukars (Alectoris chukar) threatens the gene pool integrity of native rock (A. graeca) and red-legged (A. rufa) partridge populations
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2007
Multinational coordination required for conservation of over 90% of marine species
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-09-2021
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.15844
Abstract: Marine species are declining at an unprecedented rate, catalyzing many nations to adopt conservation and management targets within their jurisdictions. However, marine species and the biophysical processes that sustain them are naive to international borders. An understanding of the prevalence of cross‐border species distributions is important for informing high‐level conservation strategies, such as bilateral or regional agreements. Here, we examined 28,252 distribution maps to determine the number and locations of transboundary marine plants and animals. More than 90% of species have ranges spanning at least two jurisdictions, with 58% covering more than 10 jurisdictions. All jurisdictions have at least one transboundary species, with the highest concentrations of transboundary species in the USA, Australia, Indonesia, and the Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. Distributions of mapped bio ersity indicate that overcoming the challenges of multinational governance is critical for a much wider suite of species than migratory megavertebrates and commercially exploited fish stocks—the groups that have received the vast majority of multinational management attention. To effectively protect marine bio ersity, international governance mechanisms (particularly those related to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention on Migratory Species, and Regional Seas Organizations) must be expanded to promote multinational conservation planning, and complimented by a holistic governance framework for bio ersity beyond national jurisdiction.
The role of transitional areas as avian biodiversity centres
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-02-2007
Butterfly diversity at the ecotone between agricultural and semi-natural habitats across a climatic gradient
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-06-2011
Fluctuating asymmetry as an indicator of fitness: can we bridge the gap between studies?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 02-2002
DOI: 10.1017/S1464793101005796
Abstract: There is growing evidence from both experimental and non-experimental studies that fluctuating asymmetry does not consistently index stress or fitness. The widely held--yet poorly substantiated--belief that fluctuating asymmetry can act as a universal measure of developmental stability and predictor of stress-mediated changes in fitness, therefore staggers. Yet attempts to understand why the reported relationships between fluctuating asymmetry, stress and fitness are so heterogeneous--i.e. whether the associations are truly weak or non-existent or whether they become confounded during different stages of the analytical pathways remain surprisingly scarce. Hence, we attempt to disentangle these causes, by reviewing the various statistical and conceptual factors that are suspected to confound potential relationships between fluctuating asymmetry, stress and fitness. Two main categories of factors are discerned: those associated with the estimation of developmental stability through fluctuating asymmetry and those associated with the effects of genotype and environment on developmental stability. Next, we describe a series of statistical tools that have recently been developed to help reduce this noise. We argue that the current lack of a theoretical framework that predicts if and when relationships with developmental stability can be expected, urges for further theoretical and empirical research, such as on the genetic architecture of developmental stability in stressed populations. If the underlying developmental mechanisms are better understood, statistical patterns of asymmetry variation may become a biologically meaningful tool.
Conserving Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 16-03-2001
Integrating local knowledge to prioritise invasive species management
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 15-05-2019
DOI: 10.1002/PAN3.27
Large-scale conservation planning in a multinational marine environment: cost matters
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2014
DOI: 10.1890/13-1249.1
Abstract: Explicitly including cost in marine conservation planning is essential for achieving feasible and efficient conservation outcomes. Yet, spatial priorities for marine conservation are still often based solely on bio ersity hotspots, species richness, and/or cumulative threat maps. This study aims to provide an approach for including cost when planning large-scale Marine Protected Area (MPA) networks that span multiple countries. Here, we explore the incorporation of cost in the complex setting of the Mediterranean Sea. In order to include cost in conservation prioritization, we developed surrogates that account for revenue from multiple marine sectors: commercial fishing, noncommercial fishing, and aquaculture. Such revenue can translate into an opportunity cost for the implementation of an MPA network. Using the software Marxan, we set conservation targets to protect 10% of the distribution of 77 threatened marine species in the Mediterranean Sea. We compared nine scenarios of opportunity cost by calculating the area and cost required to meet our targets. We further compared our spatial priorities with those that are considered consensus areas by several proposed prioritization schemes in the Mediterranean Sea, none of which explicitly considers cost. We found that for less than 10% of the Sea's area, our conservation targets can be achieved while incurring opportunity costs of less than 1%. In marine systems, we reveal that area is a poor cost surrogate and that the most effective surrogates are those that account for multiple sectors or stakeholders. Furthermore, our results indicate that including cost can greatly influence the selection of spatial priorities for marine conservation of threatened species. Although there are known limitations in multinational large-scale planning, attempting to devise more systematic and rigorous planning methods is especially critical given that collaborative conservation action is on the rise and global financial crisis restricts conservation investments.
The role of species traits and taxonomic patterns in alien bird impacts
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-06-2009
Protecting an icon: Javan rhinoceros frontline management and conservation
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 09-11-2022
DOI: 10.1017/S003060531900139X
Abstract: Managers of threatened species in remote protected areas play a pivotal role in shaping the outcomes of management and conservation programmes. The island of Java supports the last remaining population of the Javan rhinoceros Rhinoceros sondaicus , a Critically Endangered megaherbivore with only 72 in iduals persisting in the wild, in Ujung Kulon National Park. Substantial resources are being invested to manage the Javan rhinoceros and it is difficult to monitor it in the rainforest to assess whether management actions have been successful. Insights from frontline staff into the outcomes of past conservation actions and the future actions required may be key to enhancing the outcomes of conservation actions for threatened species. To study the perceptions of frontline staff towards the conservation of the Javan rhinoceros, management actions and their outcomes, we surveyed all 36-frontline staff in Ujung Kulon National Park. Although staff perceptions of conservation outcomes were generally positive, they noted key anthropogenic threats and challenges to rhinoceros protection inherent to the survival of the last Javan rhinoceros population. Staff identified increased threat of disease transfer from domestic stock to the rhinoceros, in spite of protective fencing, and the combined effects of illegal firewood collection and agricultural encroachment on rhinoceros habitat. Systematically recording and incorporating the perceptions of frontline staff in remote and often inaccessible protected areas can help identify important areas for future conservation and threat mitigation that can facilitate better protection for the Javan rhinoceros and other iconic species.
Marine conservation challenges in an era of economic crisis and geopolitical instability: The case of the Mediterranean Sea
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
Invasive patterns of alien terrestrial invertebrates in Europe
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 23-05-2011
DOI: 10.1201/B10938-12
Relationship between heterozygosity and asymmetry: A test across the distribution range
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-2001
DOI: 10.1046/J.1365-2540.2001.00856.X
Abstract: The genetic basis of developmental stability, as measured by bilateral asymmetry, has been debated for over 50 years among developmental and evolutionary biologists. One of the central theories dealing with this relationship suggests that higher levels of genetic ersity, as reflected in heterozygosity, result in increased stability during development and thus in lower asymmetry. In this study, we aimed to test the relationship between asymmetry and heterozygosity at two levels: (1) the population level, where mean heterozygosity within a population is predicted to be negatively correlated with mean population asymmetry and (2) the in idual level, where the proportion of heterozygous loci of an in idual and its bilateral asymmetry estimates are predicted to be negatively correlated. While previous studies often focused on local populations, work across species ranges can answer the following questions. Are levels of heterozygosity correlated with levels of developmental instability, as estimated by bilateral asymmetry? Are patterns consistent across the distribution range, from the periphery towards the core? Does the relationship between genetic stress and bilateral asymmetry depend on the degree of environmental stress? We tested heterozygosity levels in 26 loci and asymmetry in third toe length in 11 populations of the chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar) across a sharp climatic gradient in Israel from the arid periphery, through the Mediterranean-desert ecotone towards the Mediterranean areas located further away from the range boundaries. Genetic ersity, as estimated using both observed and expected heterozygosity, was not associated with asymmetry at either the population or at the in idual level. Whereas heterozygosity showed a hump-shaped pattern, peaking at the ecotone, asymmetry monotonically increased towards the range periphery. We argue that whereas asymmetry may serve as a useful tool for estimating changes in environmental stress, it may not be widely applicable for estimating genetic stress.
Ecotones: Marginal or central areas of transition?
Publisher: Brill
Date: 12-04-2006
DOI: 10.1560/IJEE.52.1.29
Abstract: Areas of environmental transition, where ecological communities coincide, are sometimes termed ecotones. These regions often correspond with sharp environmental gradients. Ecotones occur at multiple spatial scales, ranging from transitions between biomes to local small-scale transitions. In recent years ecotones have received increasing scientific attention after being neglected for years, as studies historically often focused on distinct communities. However, it is still debatable whether these transitional regions are speciation and bio ersity hotspots that deserve special conservation interest or are actually areas that hold marginal populations that depend on other parts of the range for the maintenance of their bio ersity and therefore should not deserve primary investment. This paper discusses some of the recent advancements in our understanding of the role of ecotones in ecology, evolution, and conservation.
Disentangling the role of environmental and human pressures on biological invasions across Europe
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 07-06-2010
Abstract: The accelerating rates of international trade, travel, and transport in the latter half of the twentieth century have led to the progressive mixing of biota from across the world and the number of species introduced to new regions continues to increase. The importance of biogeographic, climatic, economic, and demographic factors as drivers of this trend is increasingly being realized but as yet there is no consensus regarding their relative importance. Whereas little may be done to mitigate the effects of geography and climate on invasions, a wider range of options may exist to moderate the impacts of economic and demographic drivers. Here we use the most recent data available from Europe to partition between macroecological, economic, and demographic variables the variation in alien species richness of bryophytes, fungi, vascular plants, terrestrial insects, aquatic invertebrates, fish, hibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Only national wealth and human population density were statistically significant predictors in the majority of models when analyzed jointly with climate, geography, and land cover. The economic and demographic variables reflect the intensity of human activities and integrate the effect of factors that directly determine the outcome of invasion such as propagule pressure, pathways of introduction, eutrophication, and the intensity of anthropogenic disturbance. The strong influence of economic and demographic variables on the levels of invasion by alien species demonstrates that future solutions to the problem of biological invasions at a national scale lie in mitigating the negative environmental consequences of human activities that generate wealth and by promoting more sustainable population growth.
A deep nursery for juveniles of the zebra angelfish Genicanthus caudovittatus
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-11-2007
Advancing marine conservation in European and contiguous seas with the MarCons Action
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Date: 25-01-2017
DOI: 10.3897/RIO.3.E11884
Accurate prediction of bird species richness patterns in an urban environment using Landsat-derived NDVI and spectral unmixing
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 14-06-2008
Conservation priorities for chukar partridge in Israel based on genetic diversity across an ecological gradient
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-1999
Shifts in bilateral asymmetry within a distribution range: The case of the chukar partridge
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2001
DOI: 10.1111/J.0014-3820.2001.TB01323.X
Abstract: Three major types of bilateral asymmetry (fluctuating asymmetry, directional asymmetry, and antisymmetry) have long been recognized in the literature. Little, however, is known about transitions between asymmetry types, especially in natural populations. It is often assumed that directional asymmetry and antisymmetry have a larger genetic basis than fluctuating asymmetry. This leads many scientists to exclude traits or populations showing either directional asymmetry or antisymmetry from developmental instability studies, focusing attention on fluctuating asymmetry alone. This procedure may bias the findings and thus our understanding of patterns of bilateral asymmetry and the factors influencing it. To examine changes in bilateral asymmetry across the distribution range of a species, I studied the length of the third toe in 11 chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar) populations across a steep environmental gradient of 320 km within the species' range in Israel. This trait was selected due to its adaptive value in the chukar, a species that spends much of its activity walking, and due to its high measurement repeatability. Moving from the core toward the very extreme periphery of the range, the following four trends are detected: (1) the expression of the directional asymmetry component significantly increases (2) the frequency of symmetrical in iduals in the population significantly decreases, with a sharp decline at the steepest part of the climatic and environmental gradient studied, within the Mediterranean-desert ecotone (3) mean asymmetry levels, as estimated using the unsigned difference between the right and left toe, significantly increases and (4) the range of asymmetry increases such that the most asymmetrical in iduals originate from the very edge of the range. These findings provide primary evidence that substantial shifts in asymmetry may occur across short geographical distances within a species' distribution range. They show a continuum between asymmetry types and support the notion that all three types of asymmetry can reflect developmental instability. Further studies of developmental instability should be designed so that they enable detection of transitions between asymmetry types across natural populations. Such a procedure may partly resolve some of the contradictions seen in the literature regarding the relationship between bilateral asymmetry and environmental stress.
Where have all the people gone? Enhancing global conservation using night lights and social media
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-2015
DOI: 10.1890/15-0113.1
Abstract: Conservation prioritization at large scales is complex, combining biological, environmental, and social factors. While conservation scientists now more often aim to incorporate human-related factors, a critical yet unquantified challenge remains: to identify which areas people use for recreation outside urban centers. To address this gap in applied ecology and conservation, we developed a novel approach for quantifying human presence beyond populated areas by combining social media "big data" and remote sensing tools. We used data from the Flickr photo-sharing website as a surrogate for identifying spatial variation in visitation globally, and complemented this estimate with spatially explicit information on stable night lights between 2004 and 2012, used as a proxy for identifying urban and industrial centers. Natural and seminatural areas attracting visitors were defined as areas both highly photographed and non-lit. The number of Flickr photographers within protected areas was found to be a reliable surrogate for estimating visitor numbers as confirmed by local authority censuses (r = 0.8). Half of all visitors' photos taken in protected areas originated from under 1% of all protected areas on Earth (250 of -27 000). The most photographed protected areas globally included Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks (USA), and the Lake and Peak Districts (UK). Factors explaining the spatial variation in protected areas Flickr photo coverage included their type (e.g., UNESCO World Heritage sites have higher visitation) and accessibility to roads and trails. Using this approach, we identified photography hotspots, which draw many visitors and are also unlit (i.e., are located outside urban centers), but currently remain largely unprotected, such as Brazil's Pantanal and Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni. The integrated big data approach developed here demonstrates the benefits of combining remote sensing sources and novel geo-tagged and crowd-sourced information from social media in future efforts to identify spatial conservation gaps and pressures in real time, and their spatial and temporal variation globally.
Exploring the prospects for adaptive governance in marine transboundary conservation in East Africa
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2019
Remotely sensed spectral heterogeneity as a proxy of species diversity: Recent advances and open challenges
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2010
The role of invasion and urbanization gradients in shaping avian community composition
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.1093/JUE/JUAB030
Abstract: The extent to which native species utilize urban environments depends on species responses to multiple threatening processes. Here, we aimed to quantify changes in bird communities in response to changing habitat structure, invasive species and aggressive native species. We conducted surveys in two independently invaded regions with similar patterns of urban development. The study regions were New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland (QLD), Australia. We observed 127 species in NSW and 144 species in QLD. Most species (NSW 83 and QLD 84) are urban adapters making use of some or all urban sub-environments. Urban avoiders, species only found in remnant vegetation, were the second largest group (urban avoiders: NSW 23 and QLD 31). We found the lowest richness in the most urban sites (urban exploiters: NSW 10 and QLD 15). Using generalized linear mixed models, we found a non-significant relationship between species richness and the abundance of aggressive species like the common myna and noisy miners, Manorina melanocephala, but a significant positive correlation with the percentage of shrub cover at a site. As there is a gradual loss of species with increasing urbanization, retaining higher complexity in vegetation structure in urban areas will support large numbers of species and could help mitigate the potential impacts of aggressive urban-adapted species and habitat loss.
The Global Distribution and Drivers of Alien Bird Species Richness
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 12-01-2017
Persistence through tough times: fixed and shifting refuges in threatened species conservation
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-03-2019
Human-related processes drive the richness of exotic birds in Europe
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 09-09-2009
Abstract: Both human-related and natural factors can affect the establishment and distribution of exotic species. Understanding the relative role of the different factors has important scientific and applied implications. Here, we examined the relative effect of human-related and natural factors in determining the richness of exotic bird species established across Europe. Using hierarchical partitioning, which controls for covariation among factors, we show that the most important factor is the human-related community-level propagule pressure (the number of exotic species introduced), which is often not included in invasion studies due to the lack of information for this early stage in the invasion process. Another, though less important, factor was the human footprint (an index that includes human population size, land use and infrastructure). Biotic and abiotic factors of the environment were of minor importance in shaping the number of established birds when tested at a European extent using 50×50 km 2 grid squares. We provide, to our knowledge, the first map of the distribution of exotic bird richness in Europe. The richest hotspot of established exotic birds is located in southeastern England, followed by areas in Belgium and The Netherlands. Community-level propagule pressure remains the major factor shaping the distribution of exotic birds also when tested for the UK separately. Thus, studies examining the patterns of establishment should aim at collecting the crucial and hard-to-find information on community-level propagule pressure or develop reliable surrogates for estimating this factor. Allowing future introductions of exotic birds into Europe should be reconsidered carefully, as the number of introduced species is basically the main factor that determines the number established.
Inequitable protection of multidimensional biogeochemical regions in the Mediterranean Sea
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2021
Quantifying and mapping the human footprint across Earth's coastal areas
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2023
Can we predict butterfly diversity along an elevation gradient from space?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-11-2010
The value of migration information for conservation prioritization of sea turtles in the Mediterranean
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-01-2016
DOI: 10.1111/GEB.12434
Asymmetry patterns across the distribution range: does the species matter?
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 10-03-2004
A framework for systematic conservation planning and management of Mediterranean landscapes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2013
Finite conservation funds mean triage is unavoidable
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2009
Gender-Related developmental instability and herbivory ofPistacia atlantica across a steep environmental gradient
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-2007
DOI: 10.1007/BF02861702
Global invasion in progress: modeling the past, current and potential global distribution of the common myna
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-01-2019
Establishment Success across Convergent Mediterranean Ecosystems: an Analysis of Bird Introductions
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2005
Spatial congruence between ecotones and range‐restricted species: implications for conservation biogeography at the sub‐continental scale
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-04-2009
Global environmental governance for conserving migratory shorebirds in the Asia-Pacific
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-02-2019
Living in the city: can anyone become an 'urban exploiter'
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-12-2007
Biological Invasions in Conservation Planning: A Global Systematic Review
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 25-05-2018
Alien vs. Predator: Impacts of Invasive Species and Native Predators on Urban Nest Box Use by Native Birds
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 30-05-2023
DOI: 10.3390/ANI13111807
Abstract: Many bird species in Australia require tree hollows for breeding. However, assessing the benefits of urban nest boxes to native birds requires frequent monitoring that allows to assess nesting success. To better understand the benefits of nest boxes for native birds, we examined the impact of local habitat characteristics, invasive species (common myna, Acridotheres tristis), and native mammalian predators on urban nest box use and nesting success of native birds. We installed 216 nest boxes across nine locations in southeastern Australia (S.E. Queensland and northern New South Wales) in both long-invaded sites (invaded before 1970) and more recently invaded sites (after 1990). We monitored all boxes weekly over two breeding seasons. We recorded seven bird species and three mammal species using the nest boxes. Weekly box occupancy by all species averaged 8% of all boxes, with the species most frequently recorded in the nest boxes being the common brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula), a native cavity user and nest predator. We recorded 137 nesting attempts in the boxes across all bird species. The most frequent nesting species were the invasive alien common mynas (72 nesting attempts). We recorded an average nesting failure rate of 53.3% for all bird species. We did not record any common mynas evicting other nesting birds, and found that several native species used the same box after the common myna completed its nesting. We recorded native possums in 92% of the boxes, and possum occupancy of boxes per site was negatively correlated with bird nesting success (p = 0.021). These results suggest that when boxes are accessible to invasive species and native predators, they are unlikely to significantly improve nesting opportunities for native birds. To ensure efficient use of limited conservation resources, nest boxes should be designed to target species of high conservation importance and limit other species of both predators and competitors.
Reply to
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-11-2021
Location-level processes drive the establishment of alien bird populations worldwide
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-06-2019
Descending to the twilight-zone: changes in coral reef fish assemblages along a depth gradient down to 65 m
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 19-11-2008
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS07591
Factors shaping avian alien species richness in Australia vs Europe
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-09-2017
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.12625
Navigating the complexities of coordinated conservation along the river Nile
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 05-04-2019
Abstract: Basin-wide cooperation is crucial for cost-effective conservation of river Nile bio ersity.
Priority Questions and Horizon Scanning for Conservation: A Comparative Study
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 27-01-2016
Emerging conservation challenges and prospects in an era of offshore hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-07-2015
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.12562
Abstract: Globally, extensive marine areas important for bio ersity conservation and ecosystem functioning are undergoing exploration and extraction of oil and natural gas resources. Such operations are expanding to previously inaccessible deep waters and other frontier regions, while conservation-related legislation and planning is often lacking. Conservation challenges arising from offshore hydrocarbon development are wide-ranging. These challenges include threats to ecosystems and marine species from oil spills, negative impacts on native bio ersity from invasive species colonizing drilling infrastructure, and increased political conflicts that can delay conservation actions. With mounting offshore operations, conservationists need to urgently consider some possible opportunities that could be leveraged for conservation. Leveraging options, as part of multi-billion dollar marine hydrocarbon operations, include the use of facilities and costly equipment of the deep and ultra-deep hydrocarbon industry for deep-sea conservation research and monitoring and establishing new conservation research, practice, and monitoring funds and environmental offsetting schemes. The conservation community, including conservation scientists, should become more involved in the earliest planning and exploration phases and remain involved throughout the operations so as to influence decision making and promote continuous monitoring of bio ersity and ecosystems. A prompt response by conservation professionals to offshore oil and gas developments can mitigate impacts of future decisions and actions of the industry and governments. New environmental decision support tools can be used to explicitly incorporate the impacts of hydrocarbon operations on bio ersity into marine spatial and conservation plans and thus allow for optimum trade-offs among multiple objectives, costs, and risks.
Changes in scleractinian coral Seriatopora hystrix morphology and its endocellular Symbiodinium characteristics along a bathymetric gradient from shallow to mesophotic reef
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-07-2011
The effect of enemy-release and climate conditions on invasive birds: a regional test using the rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) as a case study
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-02-2009
Spatially explicit risk assessment of marine megafauna vulnerability to Indian Ocean tuna fisheries
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-05-2022
DOI: 10.1111/FAF.12676
Abstract: By‐catch is the most significant direct threat marine megafauna face at the global scale. However, the magnitude and spatial patterns of megafauna by‐catch are still poorly understood, especially in regions with very limited monitoring and expanding fisheries. The Indian Ocean is a globally important region for megafauna bio ersity and for tuna fisheries, but has limited by‐catch data. Anecdotal and scattered information indicates high by‐catch could be a major threat. Here, we adapt a Productivity Susceptibility Analysis tool designed for data‐poor contexts to present the first spatially explicit estimates of by‐catch risk of sea turtles, elasmobranchs, and cetaceans in the three major tuna fishing gears (purse seines, longlines, and drift gill nets). Our assessment highlights a potential opportunity for multi‐taxa conservation benefits by concentrating management efforts in particular coastal regions. Most coastal waters in the northern Indian Ocean, including countries that have had a minimal engagement with regional management bodies, stand out as high risk for fisheries interactions. In addition to species known to occur in tuna gears, we find high vulnerability to multiple gear types for many poorly known elasmobranchs that do not fall under any existing conservation and management measures. Our results indicate that current by‐catch mitigation measures, which focus on safe‐release practices, are unlikely to adequately reduce the substantial cumulative fishing impacts on vulnerable species. Preventative solutions that reduce interactions with non‐target species (such as closed areas or seasons, or modifications to gear and fishing tactics) are crucial for alleviating risks to megafauna from fisheries.
Towards a national platform for Australia’s islands
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 28-06-2022
DOI: 10.1071/PC21062
Abstract: Islands are important for maintaining a range of bio ersity, cultural and economic values. However, islands around the world face major and complex conservation challenges, often shared across multiple islands. The variety of tenures and uses also means there is a lack of coordination in policy and management. Addressing these challenges requires sharing lessons of success and failure. To facilitate knowledge-sharing, we need to develop common frameworks, platforms, guidelines and legislation to devise, advise and support actions and collaborations aimed to enhance island conservation. These need to consider both human needs and bio ersity, interactions, research, practice, and information sharing across islands. Pathways may include knowledge, data and experience sharing to ensure that cross-State and Territory coordination can disseminate the lessons learned from island projects to island stakeholders and vice versa. We discuss ex les of existing organisational management structures that can potentially form the basis for a timely new platform focusing on Australia’s islands. We propose an island alliance be established as a multi-disciplinary platform to improve coordination among Australia’s islands, and to represent Australia’s environmental island challenges and solutions. Such an alliance would aim to bridge island communities, practitioners, managers, researchers and cultural advisors across erse and complementary spheres along the continuum from bio ersity and ecosystems to people and social entrepreneurship. This alliance would have a mandate to develop national environmental collaborations, research and standards relating to island environments, facilitate business entrepreneurship with complementary outcomes to manage the threats that face Australian islands, and contribute to improving bio ersity conservation outcomes. The platform would draw together practitioners, natural and social scientists, policymakers, and importantly indigenous and non-Indigenous island communities to lead innovative collaborations and support Australian islands.
Status of the Union
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-12-2000
Radiotracking invasive spread
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-05-2020
Environmental Impacts of the Deep-Water Oil and Gas Industry: A Review to Guide Management Strategies
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 16-09-2202
The role of history vs. demography in shaping genetic population structure across an ecotone: chukar partridges (Alectoris chukar) as a case study
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-10-2006
Impacts and extent of biotic invasions in terrestrial ecosystems
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2002
Measuring the surrogacy potential of charismatic megafauna species across taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity on a megadiverse island
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-03-2019
The role of history vs. demography in shaping genetic population structure across an ecotone: Chukar partridges (Alectoris chukar) as a case study
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-10-2006
Collaboration across boundaries in the Amazon
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 08-11-2019
Motivations for Conserving Urban Biodiversity
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-03-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1523-1739.2009.01328.X
Abstract: In a time of increasing urbanization, the fundamental value of conserving urban bio ersity remains controversial. How much of a fixed budget should be spent on conservation in urban versus nonurban landscapes? The answer should depend on the goals that drive our conservation actions, yet proponents of urban conservation often fail to specify the motivation for protecting urban bio ersity. This is an important shortcoming on several fronts, including a missed opportunity to make a stronger appeal to those who believe conservation biology should focus exclusively on more natural, wilder landscapes. We argue that urban areas do offer an important venue for conservation biology, but that we must become better at choosing and articulating our goals. We explored seven possible motivations for urban bio ersity conservation: preserving local bio ersity, creating stepping stones to nonurban habitat, understanding and facilitating responses to environmental change, conducting environmental education, providing ecosystem services, fulfilling ethical responsibilities, and improving human well-being. To attain all these goals, challenges must be faced that are common to the urban environment, such as localized pollution, disruption of ecosystem structure, and limited availability of land. There are, however, also challenges specific only to particular goals, meaning that different goals will require different approaches and actions. This highlights the importance of specifying the motivations behind urban bio ersity conservation. If the goals are unknown, progress cannot be assessed.
Offshore Energy and Marine Spatial Planning
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 29-03-2018
The future of evolution
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2000
Ecotones and Ecological Gradients
Publisher: Springer New York
Date: 2012
Incorporating socioeconomic and political drivers of international collaboration into marine conservation planning
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-2013
Quantifying the Impact of Light Pollution on Sea Turtle Nesting Using Ground-Based Imagery
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 06-2020
DOI: 10.3390/RS12111785
Abstract: Remote sensing of anthropogenic light has substantial potential to quantify light pollution levels and understand its impact on a wide range of taxa. Currently, the use of space-borne night-time sensors for measuring the actual light pollution that animals experience is limited. This is because most night-time satellite imagery and space-borne sensors measure the light that is emitted or reflected upwards, rather than horizontally, which is often the light that is primarily perceived by animals. Therefore, there is an important need for developing and testing ground-based remote sensing techniques and methods. In this study, we aimed to address this gap by examining the potential of ground photography to quantify the actual light pollution perceived by animals, using sea turtles as a case study. We conducted detailed ground measurements of night-time brightness around the coast of Heron Island, a coral cay in the southern Great Barrier Reef of Australia, and an important sea turtle rookery, using a calibrated DSLR Canon camera with an 8 mm fish-eye lens. The resulting hemispheric photographs were processed using the newly developed Sky Quality Camera (SQC) software to extract brightness metrics. Furthermore, we quantified the factors determining the spatial and temporal variation in night-time brightness as a function of environmental factors (e.g., moon light, cloud cover, and land cover) and anthropogenic features (e.g., artificial light sources and built-up areas). We found that over 80% of the variation in night-time brightness was explained by the percentage of the moon illuminated, moon altitude, as well as cloud cover. Anthropogenic and geographic factors (e.g., artificial lighting and the percentage of visible sky) were especially important in explaining the remaining variation in measured brightness under moonless conditions. Night-time brightness variables, land cover, and rock presence together explained over 60% of the variation in sea turtle nest locations along the coastline of Heron Island, with more nests found in areas of lower light pollution. The methods we developed enabled us to overcome the limitations of commonly used ground/space borne remote sensing techniques, which are not well suited for measuring the light pollution to which animals are exposed. The findings of this study demonstrate the applicability of ground-based remote sensing techniques in accurately and efficiently measuring night-time brightness to enhance our understanding of ecological light pollution.
Can satellite-based night lights be used for conservation? The case of nesting sea turtles in the Mediterranean
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2013
Oil spill contamination probability in the southeastern Levantine basin
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2014.10.050
Abstract: Recent gas discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean Sea led to multiple operations with substantial economic interest, and with them there is a risk of oil spills and their potential environmental impacts. To examine the potential spatial distribution of this threat, we created seasonal maps of the probability of oil spill pollution reaching an area in the Israeli coastal and exclusive economic zones, given knowledge of its initial sources. We performed simulations of virtual oil spills using realistic atmospheric and oceanic conditions. The resulting maps show dominance of the alongshore northerly current, which causes the high probability areas to be stretched parallel to the coast, increasing contamination probability downstream of source points. The seasonal westerly wind forcing determines how wide the high probability areas are, and may also restrict these to a small coastal region near source points. Seasonal variability in probability distribution, oil state, and pollution time is also discussed.
Behind the Iron Curtain: Socio-economic and political factors shaped exotic bird introductions into Europe
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2010
Plenary Session 4 on the value of protected areas for fauna conservation
Publisher: Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.7882/AZ.2017.042
Amassing efforts against alien invasive species in Europe
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 15-08-2006
A risk-based approach to cumulative effect assessments for marine management
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2017.08.289
Abstract: Marine ecosystems are increasingly threatened by the cumulative effects of multiple human pressures. Cumulative effect assessments (CEAs) are needed to inform environmental policy and guide ecosystem-based management. Yet, CEAs are inherently complex and seldom linked to real-world management processes. Therefore we propose entrenching CEAs in a risk management process, comprising the steps of risk identification, risk analysis and risk evaluation. We provide guidance to operationalize a risk-based approach to CEAs by describing for each step guiding principles and desired outcomes, scientific challenges and practical solutions. We reviewed the treatment of uncertainty in CEAs and the contribution of different tools and data sources to the implementation of a risk based approach to CEAs. We show that a risk-based approach to CEAs decreases complexity, allows for the transparent treatment of uncertainty and streamlines the uptake of scientific outcomes into the science-policy interface. Hence, its adoption can help bridging the gap between science and decision-making in ecosystem-based management.
From Historical Maps to Remote Sensing: Reconstructing Land Use Changes on Norfolk Island over the Past 250 Years
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 18-04-2023
The Crowded Sea: Incorporating Multiple Marine Activities in Conservation Plans Can Significantly Alter Spatial Priorities
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 07-08-2014
Cross-boundary collaboration: key to the conservation puzzle
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
Effects of Ecotones on Biodiversity ☆
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2017
Socioeconomic impacts of marine protected areas in the Mediterranean and Black Seas
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2016
How do habitat variability and management regime shape the spatial heterogeneity of birds within a large Mediterranean urban park?
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2008
Scale matters: differences between local, regional, and global analyses
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-09-2016
DOI: 10.1002/EAP.1397
Comparing the Response of Birds and Butterflies to Vegetation-Based Mountain Ecotones Using Boundary Detection Approaches
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 11-03-2013
Space invaders; biological invasions in marine conservation planning
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-10-2016
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.12491
Collaboration among countries in marine conservation can achieve substantial efficiencies
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-06-2013
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.12095
Marine protected areas for demersal elasmobranchs in highly exploited Mediterranean ecosystems
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2020
Setting Priorities for Regional Conservation Planning in the Mediterranean Sea
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 05-04-2013
Abrupt spatial and numerical responses of overabundant foxes to a reduction in anthropogenic resources
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-09-2010
3D spatial conservation prioritisation: Accounting for depth in marine environments
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-10-2018
Polymorphism in the snake Psammophis schokari on both sides of the desert edge in Israel and Sinai
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-1997
Biodiversity data requirements for systematic conservation planning in the Mediterranean Sea
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 04-08-2014
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS10857
The COVID-19 pandemic is intricately linked to biodiversity loss and ecosystem health
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2021
Ecotones and Ecological Gradients
Publisher: Springer New York
Date: 28-11-2012
Global assessment of marine biodiversity potentially threatened by offshore hydrocarbon activities.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-03-2019
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.14616
Abstract: Increasing global energy demands have led to the ongoing intensification of hydrocarbon extraction from marine areas. Hydrocarbon extractive activities pose threats to native marine bio ersity, such as noise, light, and chemical pollution, physical changes to the sea floor, invasive species, and greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we assessed at a global scale the spatial overlap between offshore hydrocarbon activities and marine bio ersity (>25,000 species, nine major ecosystems, and marine protected areas), and quantify the changes over time. We discovered that two-thirds of global offshore hydrocarbon activities occur in areas within the top 10% for species richness, range rarity, and proportional range rarity values globally. Thus, while hydrocarbon activities are undertaken in less than one percent of the ocean's area, they overlap with approximately 85% of all assessed species. Of conservation concern, 4% of species with the largest proportion of their range overlapping hydrocarbon activities are range restricted, potentially increasing their vulnerability to localized threats such as oil spills. While hydrocarbon activities have extended to greater depths since the mid-1990s, we found that the largest overlap is with coastal ecosystems, particularly estuaries, saltmarshes and mangroves. Furthermore, in most countries where offshore hydrocarbon exploration licensing blocks have been delineated, they do not overlap with marine protected areas (MPAs). Although this is positive in principle, many countries have far more licensing block areas than protected areas, and in some instances, MPA coverage is minimal. These findings suggest the need for marine spatial prioritization to help limit future spatial overlap between marine conservation priorities and hydrocarbon activities. Such prioritization can be informed by the spatial and quantitative baseline information provided here. In increasingly shared seascapes, prioritizing management actions that set both conservation and development targets could help minimize further declines of bio ersity and environmental changes at a global scale.
Functional changes of the visual system of the damselfish Dascyllus marginatus along its bathymetric range
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2010
DOI: 10.1016/J.PHYSBEH.2010.07.006
Abstract: Shallow-water zooplanktivorous fish rely on their vision for foraging. In shallow water, feeding efficiency decreases in dim light and thus the fish cease foraging at crepuscular hours. Creatures living in the lower parts of their depth ranges are expected to be exposed to limited light levels for longer hours. However, observations of the zooplanktivore Dascyllus marginatus showed little change in foraging duration down to 40m deep. We asked whether the visual system's functionality changes with depth along the depth range of this damselfish we examined eye and retina anatomy for changes in visual acuity and light sensitivity and used the optomotor response to test for spatial and temporal light summation. We found only minor changes in the anatomy of the eye that are not expected to affect visual sensitivity or acuity. However, behavioural experiments showed that the deeper water fish's test performance exceeded those of fish in shallow water under lower light levels. We found that deeper water fish responded to the optomotor test at lower light levels and also had more discriminating visual acuity in low light, which can increase their potential reactive distance. The plastic adaptive ability of the visual system to low light levels may explain the fish's ability to inhabit deeper reef habitats and thus expand their depth range limits.
Biodiversity hotspots and beyond: The need for preserving environmental transitions [1]
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2001
Sensitivity analysis of conservation targets in systematic conservation planning
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2015
DOI: 10.1890/14-1464.1
Abstract: Systematic conservation planning has rapidly advanced in the past decade and has been increasingly incorporated in multiple studies and conservation projects. One of its requirements is a quantitative definition of conservation targets. While the Convention on Biological Diversity aims to expand the world's protected area network to 17% of the land surface, in many cases such uniform policy-driven targets may not be appropriate for achieving persistence of various species. Targets are often set arbitrarily, often because information required for the persistence of each species is unavailable or unknown in the focal region. Conservation planners therefore need to establish complementary novel approaches to address the gaps in setting targets. Here, we develop and present a novel method that aims to help guide the selection of conservation targets, providing support for decision makers, planners, and managers. This is achieved by examining the overall flexibility of the conservation network resulting from conservation prioritization, and aiming for greater flexibility. To test this approach we applied the decision support tool Marxan to determine marine conservation priority areas in the eastern Mediterranean Sea as a case study. We assessed the flexibility of the conservation network by comparing 80 different scenarios in which conservation targets were gradually increased and assessed by a range of calculated metrics (e.g., the percentage of the total area selected, the overall connectivity). We discovered that when conservation targets were set too low (i.e., below 10% of the distribution range of each species), very few areas were identified as irreplaceable and the conservation network was not well defined. Interestingly, when conservation targets were set too high (over 50% of the species' range), too many conservation priority areas were selected as irreplaceable, an outcome which is realistically infeasible to implement. As a general guideline, we found that flexibility in a conservation network is adequate when ~10-20% of the study area is considered irreplaceable (selection frequency values over 90%). This approach offers a useful sensitivity analysis when applying target-based systematic conservation planning tools, ensuring that the resulting protected area conservation network offers more choices for managers and decision makers.
Global warming, Bergmann's rule and body mass - Are they related? The chukar partridge (Alectoris chukar) case
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-2002
Ecological variables for developing a global deep-ocean monitoring and conservation strategy
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-02-2020
BIODIVERSITY RESEARCH: Geographical linkages between threats and imperilment in freshwater fish in the Mediterranean Basin
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-07-2010
Conserving European biodiversity across realms
Publisher: No publisher found
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1111/CONL.12586
CORE AND PERIPHERAL POPULATIONS AND GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
Publisher: Brill
Date: 13-05-1994
DOI: 10.1080/07929978.1994.10676584
Abstract: Environmental conditions outside the periphery of a species' distribution prevent population persistence, hence peripheral populations live under conditions different from those of core populations. Peripheral areas are characterized by variable and unstable conditions, relative to core areas. Peripheral populations are expected to be genetically more variable, since the variable conditions induce fluctuating selection, which maintains high genetic ersity. Alternatively, due to marginal ecological conditions at the periphery, populations there are small and isolated the within-population ersity is low, but the between-population genetic ersity is high due to genetic drift. It is also likely that peripheral populations evolve resistance to extreme conditions. Thus, peripheral populations rather than core ones may be resistant to environmental extremes and changes, such as global climate change induced by the anthropogenically emitted “greenhouse gases”. They should be treated as a biogenetic resource used for rehabilitation and restoration of damaged ecosystems. Climatic transition zones are characterized by a high incidence of species represented by peripheral populations, and therefore should be conserved now as repositories of these resources, to be used in the future for mitigating undesirable effects of global climate change. Preliminary research revealed high phenotypic variability and high genetic ersity in peripheral populations relative to core populations of wild barley and the chukar partridge, respectively.
Effects of Ecotones on Biodiversity
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2013
Tracking invasive birds: a programme for implementing dynamic open inquiry learning and conservation education
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 20-01-2011
Evaluating the potential for transboundary management of marine biodiversity in the Western Indian Ocean
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-01-2018
Effects of Ecotones on Biodiversity
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2007
Peak morphological diversity in an ecotone unveiled in the chukar partridge by a novel Estimator in a Dependent Sample (EDS)
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2002
Quantifying the Human Footprint and Cumulative Impacts on Earth's Coastal Areas
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2021
DOI: 10.2139/SSRN.3824996
Incorporating feasibility and collaboration into large-scale planning for regional recovery of coral reef fisheries
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 04-10-2018
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS12743
Two speed invasion: assisted and intrinsic dispersal of common mynas over 150 years of colonization
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-11-2018
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.13473
The complex interaction network among multiple invasive bird species in a cavity-nesting community
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 31-08-2012
Polycentricity and adaptive governance of transboundary marine socio-ecological systems
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2021
Predicting mountain plant richness and rarity from space using satellite-derived vegetation indices
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-05-2007
World Heritage in danger: Big data and remote sensing can help protect sites in conflict zones
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2019
Are environmental transitions more prone to biological invasions?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-02-2013
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.12026
Noisy neighbours and myna problems: Interaction webs and aggression around tree hollows in urban habitats
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-07-2020
How well do we understand the impacts of alien species on ecosystem services? A pan‐European, cross‐taxa assessment
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-04-2009
DOI: 10.1890/080083
Nest-site competition between invasive and native cavity nesting birds and its implication for conservation.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2016.06.021
Abstract: Nesting cavities are often a limited resource that multiple species use. There is an ongoing discussion on whether invasive cavity nesting birds restrict the availability of this key limited resource. While the answer to this question has important conservation implications, little experimental work has been done to examine it. Here, we aimed to experimentally test whether alien cavity nesting birds affect the occupancy of cavities and the resulting breeding success of native cavity breeders in a large urban park located in Tel Aviv, Israel. Over three breeding seasons, we manipulated the entry size of nest boxes and compared the occupancy and breeding success of birds in nest boxes of two treatments. These included nest boxes with large-entrance and small-entrance holes. The large-entrance holes allowed access for both the native and invasive birds (the two main aliens in the park are the common mynas and rose-ringed parakeets). The smaller-entrance boxes, on the other hand, allowed only the smaller sized native cavity breeders (great tits and house sparrows) to enter the boxes but prevented the alien species from entering. We found that the large-entrance nest boxes were occupied by five different bird species, comprising three natives (great tit, house sparrow, Scops owl) and two invasive species (common myna, rose-ringed parakeet) while the small-entrance boxes were only occupied by the two native species. The alien common mynas and rose-ringed parakeets occupied 77.5% of the large-entrance nest boxes whereas native species, mainly great tits, occupied less than 9% of the large-entrance boxes and 36.5% of the small-entrance boxes. When examining the occupancy of those cavities that were not occupied by the aliens, natives occupied both the small and large-entrance nest boxes equally. Three quarters (78%) of the great tits breeding in the large-entrance boxes were usurped by common mynas during the breeding season and as a result breeding success was significantly lower for great tits breeding in the large-entrance boxes compared with the small-entrance boxes. The results of this study suggests that the invasive alien species can reduce the breeding potential of native cavity breeders both by exploiting the limited breeding resource (nest cavities) and by directly usurping cavities already occupied by the native species. Since the majority of large-entrance nest boxes were occupied by the larger alien birds, less native species bred in the limited number of unoccupied large-entrance nest boxes because of exploitation competition. We propose that for management purposes, nest-box programs that alter the entrance size of available natural cavities may be a practical approach, reducing the competition between native cavity breeders and alien invasive birds, and especially benefiting the smaller native cavity breeders.
Between-country collaboration and consideration of costs increase conservation planning efficiency in the Mediterranean Basin
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 08-09-2009
Abstract: The importance of global and regional coordination in conservation is growing, although currently, the majority of conservation programs are applied at national and subnational scales. Nevertheless, multinational programs incur transaction costs and resources beyond what is required in national programs. Given the need to maximize returns on investment within limited conservation budgets, it is crucial to quantify how much more bio ersity can be protected by coordinating multinational conservation efforts when resources are fungible. Previous studies that compared different scales of conservation decision-making mostly ignored spatial variability in bio ersity threats and the cost of actions. Here, we developed a simple integrating metric, taking into account both the cost of conservation and threats to bio ersity. We examined the Mediterranean Basin bio ersity hotspot, which encompasses over 20 countries. We discovered that for vertebrates to achieve similar conservation benefits, one would need substantially more money and area if each country were to act independently as compared to fully coordinated action across the Basin. A fully coordinated conservation plan is expected to save approximately US$67 billion, 45% of total cost, compared with the uncoordinated plan and if implemented over a 10-year period, the plan would cost ≈0.1% of the gross national income of all European Union (EU) countries annually. The initiative declared in the recent Paris Summit for the Mediterranean provides a political basis for such complex coordination. Surprisingly, because many conservation priority areas selected are located in EU countries, a partly coordinated solution incorporating only EU-Mediterranean countries is almost as efficient as the fully coordinated scenario.
Backyard conservation in traditionally owned lands
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2023
DOI: 10.1016/J.TREE.2022.08.006
Abstract: Backyard conservation is a community-based approach aiming to weave traditional knowledge, management practices, customary land ownership, and Indigenous-driven solutions with other scientific knowledge to enhance conservation. The islands of Papua New Guinea (PNG) provide an important ex le towards understanding the role of backyard conservation in culturally erse and complex societies.
Global environmental priorities: making sense of remote sensing
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2008
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