Assessing worth of marine protected areas for the protection of threatened biodiversity using IUCN Red List and Red List Index. A pilot study in six mediterranean areas

AbstractThe conservation of wide-ranging, territorial carnivores presents many challenges, not least the inadequacy of many protected areas in providing sufficient space to allow such species to maintain viable populations. As a result populations occurring outside protected areas may be of considerable importance for the conservation of some species, although the significance of these areas is poorly understood. Brown hyaenas Parahyaena brunnea are categorized as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List and recent research suggests the species may be particularly vulnerable to habitat loss and the conversion of land to agriculture. Here we report on the population density and abundance of brown hyaenas in an area of commercial farmland in western Botswana. Mean brown hyaena density estimated from camera-trap surveys was 2.3 per 100 km2 and from spoor surveys 2.88 per 100 km2, which are comparable to estimates reported for protected areas. Estimated densities were higher on farms used for livestock production than on those used for game farming, suggesting that the species can tolerate land-use change where reliable alternative food resources exist. Our results indicate that populations of brown hyaenas in non-protected areas comprise a significant proportion of the global population and that such areas may be of critical importance for their conservation.

Download Full-text

Assessing the effectiveness of Madagascar’s changing protected areas system: a case study of threatened Boraginales

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605310000803 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

pp. 201-209 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

James S. Miller ◽

Holly A. Porter Morgan

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Protected Area ◽

Native Species ◽

Plant Conservation ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Red List ◽

Iucn Red List Categories ◽

System A ◽

Red List Categories

AbstractThreat analyses of the Boraginales were conducted and used to assess the effectiveness of Madagascar’s current and proposed protected area systems in conserving the threatened species of a group of plants widespread in Madagascar. Specimen locality data for 52 species of four families of Boraginales were analysed to provisionally assign species to IUCN Red List categories. Six species were excluded from these global analyses as they are non-native and introduced. IUCN’s criterion B, analysis of geographical range, was found to be the most reliable means of estimating threat, and predicted future decline was found to overestimate threat. Twenty-six of the 46 native species of Boraginales were found to be threatened. Sixty-five percent of these have portions of their ranges in the 2002 protected areas system. When the protected areas system was expanded in 2006 the percentage of species with some protected populations increased to 78%. More than 93% would be protected if a series of proposed priority areas for plant conservation were protected. The implications of these analyses for the conservation of plant species in Madagascar are discussed.

Download Full-text

The Presence of IUCN Red List Tree Species in Dependence of Site Characteristics in the Vietnamese Cat Ba National Park

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d12030104 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 104

Author(s):

Van Vien Pham ◽

Christian Ammer ◽

Peter Annighöfer

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Tree Species ◽

National Park ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Red List ◽

Rock Surface ◽

Cluster Sampling ◽

Endangered Tree ◽

Site Characteristics

Rare or endangered tree species are important components of forest ecosystems and play a crucial role in management and conservation. Understanding what influences their presence is critical for managers, conservationists and planners. This study presents results of a comprehensive inventory of the tree species and site characteristics in the Vietnamese Cat Ba National Park (CBNP). An adaptive cluster sampling technique was applied to study the effect of human disturbance, soil properties, and terrain conditions on the presence of IUCN Red List tree species (all individuals > 5 cm diameter at breast height) in three strictly protected areas in CBNP, which have varying levels of isolation. Data from 239 sample plots (500 m2 each) were analyzed. Tree species recorded during the inventory were assigned to two categories: IUCN Red List and other. Our results showed that site characteristics differed in the three protected areas along with the presence of IUCN Red List tree species. IUCN Red List tree species were more frequently found on less favorable soils (low soil depth) and in terrain with more pronounced slopes and with a higher rock surface area (%). However, there is no indication from existing information on the autecology of the different Red List species that the site conditions hosting the species are the ones favored by the species, even on the contrary for some. Although direct signs of human activity (paths, animal traps) could not be related to the presence of Red List tree species, the data suggest that the accessibility of the sites is a strong negative driver for the presence of Red List tree species. We conclude that protection of the forests of the Cat Ba Island should be stricter to allow the IUCN Red List tree species to grow under more appropriate conditions, which then would allow studying their ecology in more detail. This would further allow deriving more precise recommendations for their future protection.

Download Full-text

Conservation status and recovery of Podocarpus angustifolius: a threatened tree of Cuba

Oryx ◽

10.1017/s0030605321000144 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-3

Author(s):

Ernesto Testé ◽

Majela Hernández ◽

Eldis R. Bécquer ◽

Oliver Valle ◽

Luis R. González-Torres

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Size Structure ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Population Based ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Small Population ◽

Red List ◽

Coffee Plantations ◽

Area Of Occupancy ◽

In The Wild

Abstract The recovery of species’ populations is one of the most challenging tasks in conservation, which is why species recovery is most likely to be successful if it involves as many stakeholders as possible. Podocarpus angustifolius, a tree endemic to Cuba, is potentially threatened by overexploitation, deforestation and expansion of exotic species. In December of 2017, in two protected areas containing the only known subpopulations of this species, we recorded the geographical position, height, and diameter at breast height of each individual, and calculated the extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO). We recorded a total of 575 individuals, 174 of which were adult (defined as ≥ 6 m height on the basis of the occurrence of reproductive structures), and most of which occurred in Lomas de Banao Ecological Reserve. The EOO and AOO were 125.8 km2 and 6.0 km2, respectively. All P. angustifolius that remain in the wild are within two protected areas, either in rainforest relicts or in coffee plantations. The size structure indicates a growing population. Based on our findings we recommend that P. angustifolius should be recategorized from Vulnerable (on the IUCN Red List) and Critically Endangered (on the national Red List) to Endangered, based on criterion D (small population size). We recommend the continued reinforcement of the population at Topes de Collantes Natural Protected Landscape and the continued engagement of local stakeholders for the long-term conservation of this species.

Download Full-text

Argentinian odonates (dragonflies and damselflies): current and future distribution and discussion of their conservation

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.7166.13.11.19448-19465 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 19448-19465

Author(s):

A. Nava-Bolaños ◽

D.E. Vrech ◽

A.V. Peretti ◽

A. Córdoba-Aguilar

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Potential Distribution ◽

Wide Distribution ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Red List ◽

Quantitative Approach ◽

Physiological Tolerance ◽

Dispersal Abilities ◽

Near Threatened ◽

Study Species

In terms of conservation, Argentinian odonates have not been assessed using a quantitative approach. One way to achieve this is by modelling their distribution to gather the extent of occurrence. Thus, we modelled the current and future (projected year, 2050) potential distribution of 44 odonate species that occur in Argentina as well as in neighboring countries. Our models of current times indicate a fairly wide distribution for most species but one exception is relevant for conservation purposes: Lestes dichrostigma has less than 30,000 km2 and falls in the ‘Near Threatened’ category according to the IUCN Red List. Another seven species have less than or close to 100,000 km2: Elasmothemis cannacrioides, Erythemis credula, E. paraguayensis, Heteragrion angustipenne, H. inca, Lestes forficula, and Mecistogaster linearis. Future distribution estimates suggest that: a) 12 species will lose or gain around 10%, four species will increase their distribution beyond 10% (up to 2,346%), and 28 species will lose more than 10% (up to 99%). Although current protected areas embrace most odonate species in Argentina, it is still premature to conclude whether this situation will remain in the future given the physiological tolerance and dispersal abilities of the study species among other drivers of distribution.

Download Full-text

An update on the distribution of yellow-throated marten Martes flavigula in Nepal

Nepalese Journal of Zoology ◽

10.3126/njz.v4i2.33907 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 147-151

Author(s):

Hari Basnet ◽

Anu Rai

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Threatened Species ◽

Scientific Community ◽

Field Work ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Red List ◽

Data Gap ◽

First Time ◽

Species Being

The yellow-throated marten Martes flavigula is encountered frequently by many researchers or nature guides but the information remains unavailable to the wider scientific community. The conservation efforts are already stretched thin and the species being Least Concern in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species points to the reality that a dedicated budget for studying its ecology and distribution will not be readily available. We try to amend this data gap by presenting a non-targeted survey of the yellow-throated marten from May 2013 to January 2020 recorded during the field work in the mid hills and mountains of Nepal. The species was reported from 22 different sites which includes five protected areas of Nepal. Among them, we reported the species for the first time from Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve and districts of Achham, Bajura and Gulmi. We recommend a guideline to be developed for recording the opportunistic sightings and encourage researchers to share their records that will improve understanding of yellow-throated marten distribution in Nepal.

Download Full-text

New locality record of the Travancore Bush Frog Raorchestes travancoricus Boulenger, 1891 (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from Periyar Tiger Reserve, Kerala, India

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.2139.8.1.8379-8382 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 8379 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

K. Pratap Rajkumar ◽

T. S. Prasad ◽

Sandeep Das ◽

R. Sreehari ◽

P. S. Easa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Protected Area ◽

Western Ghats ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Red List ◽

Locality Record ◽

Tiger Reserve ◽

Southern Western Ghats ◽

Disturbed Habitats ◽

Periyar Tiger Reserve

<p><em>Raorchestes travancoricus </em>is a rare and endemic rhacophorid from southern Western Ghats. The frog was listed in the Extinct category of the IUCN Red List until June 2015, even after its rediscovery in 2004. In June 2015, the <em>R. travancoricus</em> was reassessed to Endangered category. All published reports of the species are restricted to disturbed habitats outside protected areas and the current study report the presence of the species from eight different localities from a protected area the Periyar Tiger Reserve.</p><div> </div>

Download Full-text

Inclusive Governance and Biodiversity Conservation: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13073847 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 3847

Author(s):

Inayat Ullah ◽

Dong-Young Kim

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Control Method ◽

Economic Incentives ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Red List ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Synthetic Control ◽

African Countries ◽

Threat Level ◽

Sub Saharan

We examine the conservation effects attributable to changes in the size of community-governed protected areas (PAs) by adopting a generalized difference-in-difference (DID) design with a two-way fixed effect regression model and synthetic control methods. Panel data from the extraordinary datasets of the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPAs) and the Red List of International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are used for 32 Sub-Saharan African countries in this study. Our generalized DID estimates show that countries with community-governed PAs have reduced the IUCN Red List threat level by 17% for mammals. We also find stronger evidence of the effect of community-governed PAs on the IUCN threat level using synthetic control method that allows us to match the “intervention countries” with those countries that exhibit similar pre-intervention threat level. Our results are robust on alternate specifications in which we exploit variations in the cumulative size of the designated PAs differentiated by the IUCN governance types. We also compare the effect of strictly state-governed PAs with community-governed PAs. Our findings provide evidence in support of recent qualitative studies that find positive responses of community participation towards common goods that carry potential economic incentives. This paper contributes to the idea that inclusive environmental policies and legislations yield environmental gains not at the cost of social exclusion.

Download Full-text

Studies in Malagasy Eugenia (Myrtaceae) ‐ VI: A New Species with Large Leaves and Coarsely and Irregularly Verrucose Fruits

Systematic Botany ◽

10.1600/036364420x15862837791267 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

pp. 274-276

Author(s):

Neil Snow ◽

Martin W. Callmander ◽

James Byng

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Iucn Red List ◽

Red List ◽

Preliminary Assessment ◽

Iucn Red List Categories ◽

Risk Of Extinction ◽

Red List Categories ◽

A New Species

Abstract—A new species with verrucose fruits and relatively large leaves, Eugenia antilahimenae, is described from the northeast of Madagascar. It is known from the protected areas of Makira and Masoala in lowland rainforests west and north of the Baie d'Antongil. We provide a detailed description of the species, illustration, a table comparing morphologically similar taxa, and preliminary assessment of the risk of extinction following the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, which indicates a status of “Least Concern.”

Download Full-text